Context :

Aims : We aim to investigate the polarization properties of a starless core in a very early evolutionary stage .
Linear polarization data reveal the properties of the dust grains in the distinct phases of the interstellar medium .
Our goal is to investigate how the polarization degree and angle correlate with the cloud and core gas .

Methods : We use optical , near infrared and submillimeter polarization observations toward the starless object Pipe-109 in the Pipe nebula .
Our data cover a physical scale range of 0.08 to 0.4 pc , comprising the dense gas , envelope and the surrounding cloud .

Results : The cloud polarization is well traced by the optical data .
The near infrared polarization is produced by a mixed population of grains from the core border and the cloud gas .
The optical and near infrared polarization toward the cloud reach the maximum possible value and saturate with respect to the visual extinction .
The core polarization is predominantly traced by the submillimeter data and have a steep decrease with respect to the visual extinction .
Modeling of the submillimeter polarization indicates a magnetic field main direction projected onto the plane-of-sky and loss of grain alignment for densities higher than 6 \times 10 ^ { 4 } cm ^ { -3 } ( or A _ { V } > 30 mag ) .

Conclusions : Pipe-109 is immersed in a magnetized medium , with a very ordered magnetic field .
The absence of internal source of radiation significantly affects the polarization efficiencies in the core , creating a polarization hole at the center of the starless core .
This result supports the theory of dust grain alignment via radiative torques