scholarly journals The tilt of the velocity ellipsoid in the Milky Way with Gaia DR2

2019 ◽  
Vol 629 ◽  
pp. A70 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. H. J. Hagen ◽  
A. Helmi ◽  
P. T. de Zeeuw ◽  
L. Posti
Keyword(s):  
Velocity Distribution ◽  
Measurement Errors ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
Radial Distance ◽  
Zero Point ◽  
Dark Halo ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Dark Matter Distribution ◽  
Global Zero

The velocity distribution of stars is a sensitive probe of the gravitational potential of the Galaxy, and hence of its dark matter distribution. In particular, the shape of the dark halo (e.g. spherical, oblate, or prolate) determines velocity correlations, and different halo geometries are expected to result in measurable differences. Here we explore and interpret the correlations in the (vR, vz)-velocity distribution as a function of position in the Milky Way. We selected a high-quality sample of stars from the Gaia DR2 catalogue and characterised the orientation of the velocity distribution or tilt angle over a radial distance range of [4 − 13] kpc and up to 3.5 kpc away from the Galactic plane while taking into account the effects of the measurement errors. We find that the tilt angles change from spherical alignment in the inner Galaxy (R ∼ 4 kpc) towards more cylindrical alignments in the outer Galaxy (R ∼ 11 kpc) when using distances that take a global zero-point offset in the parallax of −29 μas. However, if the amplitude of this offset is underestimated, then the inferred tilt angles in the outer Galaxy only appear shallower and are intrinsically more consistent with spherical alignment for an offset as large as −54 μas. We further find that the tilt angles do not seem to strongly vary with Galactic azimuth and that different stellar populations depict similar tilt angles. Therefore we introduce a simple analytic function that describes the trends found over the full radial range. Since the systematic parallax errors in Gaia DR2 depend on celestial position, magnitude, and colour in complex ways, it is not possible to fully correct for them. Therefore it will be particularly important for dynamical modelling of the Milky Way to thoroughly characterise the systematics in astrometry in future Gaia data releases.

scholarly journals An Overview of the Globular Cluster System of the Galaxy

1988 ◽  
Vol 126 ◽  
pp. 37-48
Author(s):  
Robert Zinn
Keyword(s):  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
Cluster System ◽  
Open Clusters ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Globular Cluster System ◽  
Harlow Shapley

Harlow Shapley (1918) used the positions of globular clusters in space to determine the dimensions of our Galaxy. His conclusion that the Sun does not lie near the center of the Galaxy is widely recognized as one of the most important astronomical discoveries of this century. Nearly as important, but much less publicized, was his realization that, unlike stars, open clusters, HII regions and planetary nebulae, globular clusters are not concentrated near the plane of the Milky Way. His data showed that the globular clusters are distributed over very large distances from the galactic plane and the galactic center. Ever since this discovery that the Galaxy has a vast halo containing globular clusters, it has been clear that these clusters are key objects for probing the evolution of the Galaxy. Later work, which showed that globular clusters are very old and, on average, very metal poor, underscored their importance. In the spirit of this research, which started with Shapley's, this review discusses the characteristics of the globular cluster system that have the most bearing on the evolution of the Galaxy.

scholarly journals The Bulge-disc connection in the Milky Way

2008 ◽  
Vol 4 (S254) ◽  
pp. 145-152
Author(s):  
James Binney
Keyword(s):  
Angular Momentum ◽  
Stellar Population ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Dark Halo ◽  
Principal Characteristics ◽  
Corotation Radius ◽  
The Galaxy

AbstractBulges come in two flavours – classical and pseudo. The principal characteristics of each flavour are summarised and their impact on discs is considered. Classical bulges probably inhibit the formation of stellar discs. Pseudobulges exchange angular momentum with stars and gas in their companion discs, and also with its embedding dark halo. Since the structure of a pseudobulge depends critically on its angular momentum, these exchanges are expected to modify the bulge. The consequences of this modification are not yet satisfactorily understood. The Galaxy has a pseudobulge. I review the manifestations of its interaction with the disc. More work is needed on the dynamics of gas near the bulge's corotation radius, and on tracing the stellar population in the inner few hundred parsecs of the Galaxy.

scholarly journals Distribution of CO in the Southern Milky Way and large-scale structure in the Galaxy

1985 ◽  
Vol 106 ◽  
pp. 203-204
Author(s):  
W.H. Mccutcheon ◽  
B. J. Robinson ◽  
R. N. Manchester ◽  
J. B. Whiteoak
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
Large Scale Structure ◽  
Sampling Interval ◽  
Scale Structure ◽  
Plane Region ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Csiro Division

The southern galactic-plane region, in the ranges 294° ≤ 1 ≤ 358°, −0°.075 ≤ b ≤ 0°.075, has been surveyed in the J = 1–0 line of 12CO with a sampling interval of 3′ arc. Observations were made with the 4-metre telescope at the CSIRO Division of Radiophysics in 1980 and 1981. Details of equipment and observing procedure are given in Robinson et al. (1982, 1983); see also McCutcheon et al. (1983).

scholarly journals Chemical Evolution of the Galactic Disk and Bulge

1995 ◽  
Vol 164 ◽  
pp. 133-149
Author(s):  
Rosemary F.G. Wyse
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Disk ◽  
Mass Function ◽  
Initial Mass Function ◽  
List Type ◽  
Dark Halo ◽  
Milky Way Galaxy ◽  
The Galaxy

The Milky Way Galaxy offers a unique opportunity for testing theories of galaxy formation and evolution. The study of the spatial distribution, kinematics and chemical abundances of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy allows one to address specific questions pertinent to this meeting such as (i)When was the Galaxy assembled? Is this an ongoing process? What was the merging history of the Milky Way?(ii)When did star formation occur in what is now “The Milky Way Galaxy”? Where did the star formation occur then? What was the stellar Initial Mass Function?(iii)How much dissipation of energy was there before and during the formation of the different stellar components of the Galaxy?(iv)What are the relationships among the different stellar components of the Galaxy?(v)Was angular momentum conserved during formation of the disk(s) of the Galaxy?(vi)What is the shape of the dark halo?(vii)Is there dissipative (disk) dark matter?

scholarly journals Local Stellar Kinematics from RAVE data – V. Kinematic Investigation of the Galaxy with Red Clump Stars

2014 ◽  
Vol 31 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Karaali ◽  
S. Bilir ◽  
S. Ak ◽  
E. Yaz Gökçe ◽  
Ö. Önal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Velocity Component ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
Radial Distance ◽  
Vertical Direction ◽  
Space Velocity ◽  
Galactic Centre ◽  
Galactic Rotation ◽  
Stellar Kinematics ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Red Clump

AbstractWe investigated the space velocity components of 6 610 red clump (RC) stars in terms of vertical distance, Galactocentric radial distance and Galactic longitude. Stellar velocity vectors are corrected for differential rotation of the Galaxy which is taken into account using photometric distances of RC stars. The space velocity components estimated for the sample stars above and below the Galactic plane are compatible only for the space velocity component in the direction to the Galactic rotation of the thin disc stars. The space velocity component in the direction to the Galactic rotation (Vlsr) shows a smooth variation relative to the mean Galactocentric radial distance (Rm), while it attains its maximum at the Galactic plane. The space velocity components in the direction to the Galactic centre (Ulsr) and in the vertical direction (Wlsr) show almost flat distributions relative to Rm, with small changes in their trends at Rm ~ 7.5 kpc. Ulsr values estimated for the RC stars in quadrant 180° < l ⩽ 270° are larger than the ones in quadrants 0° < l ⩽ 90° and 270° < l ⩽ 360°. The smooth distribution of the space velocity dispersions reveals that the thin and thick discs are kinematically continuous components of the Galaxy. Based on the Wlsr space velocity components estimated in the quadrants 0° < l ⩽ 90° and 270° < l ⩽ 360°, in the inward direction relative to the Sun, we showed that RC stars above the Galactic plane move towards the North Galactic Pole, whereas those below the Galactic plane move in the opposite direction. In the case of quadrant 180° < l ⩽ 270°, their behaviour is different, i.e. the RC stars above and below the Galactic plane move towards the Galactic plane. We stated that the Galactic long bar is the probable origin of many, but not all, of the detected features.

scholarly journals Subhalo destruction in the Apostle and Auriga simulations

2019 ◽  
Vol 492 (4) ◽  
pp. 5780-5793 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Richings ◽  
Carlos Frenk ◽  
Adrian Jenkins ◽  
Andrew Robertson ◽  
Azadeh Fattahi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
Velocity Distribution ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
Systematic Errors ◽  
Mass Function ◽  
New Method ◽  
The Galaxy

ABSTRACT N-body simulations make unambiguous predictions for the abundance of substructures within dark matter haloes. However, the inclusion of baryons in the simulations changes the picture because processes associated with the presence of a large galaxy in the halo can destroy subhaloes and substantially alter the mass function and velocity distribution of subhaloes. We compare the effect of galaxy formation on subhalo populations in two state-of-the-art sets of hydrodynamical Λcold dark matter (ΛCDM) simulations of Milky Way mass haloes, Apostle and Auriga. We introduce a new method for tracking the orbits of subhaloes between simulation snapshots that gives accurate results down to a few kiloparsecs from the centre of the halo. Relative to a dark matter-only simulation, the abundance of subhaloes in Apostle is reduced by 50 per cent near the centre and by 10 per cent within r200. In Auriga, the corresponding numbers are 80 per cent and 40 per cent. The velocity distributions of subhaloes are also affected by the presence of the galaxy, much more so in Auriga than in Apostle. The differences on subhalo properties in the two simulations can be traced back to the mass of the central galaxies, which in Auriga are typically twice as massive as those in Apostle. We show that some of the results from previous studies are inaccurate due to systematic errors in the modelling of subhalo orbits near the centre of haloes.

scholarly journals The tale of the Milky Way globular cluster NGC 6362 – I. The orbit and its possible extended star debris features as revealed by Gaia DR2

2019 ◽  
Vol 489 (4) ◽  
pp. 4565-4573
Author(s):  
Richa Kundu ◽  
José G Fernández-Trincado ◽  
Dante Minniti ◽  
Harinder P Singh ◽  
Edmundo Moreno ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
Vertical Component ◽  
Galactic Disc ◽  
Corotation Radius ◽  
Magnitude Diagram ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
History Of ◽  
Event Based ◽  
Gaia Dr2

ABSTRACTWe report the identification of possible extended star debris candidates beyond the cluster tidal radius of NGC 6362 based on the second Gaia data release (Gaia DR2). We found 259 objects possibly associated with the cluster lying in the vicinity of the giant branch and 1–2 magnitudes fainter/brighter than the main-sequence turn-off in the cluster colour–magnitude diagram and which cover an area on the sky of ∼4.1 deg2 centred on the cluster. We traced back the orbit of NGC 6362 in a realistic Milky Way potential, using the gravpot16 package, for 3 Gyr. The orbit shows that the cluster shares similar orbital properties as the inner disc, having peri-/apogalactic distances, and maximum vertical excursion from the Galactic plane inside the corotation radius (CR), moving inwards from CR radius to visit the inner regions of the Milky Way. The dynamical history of the cluster reveals that it has crossed the Galactic disc several times in its lifetime and has recently undergone a gravitational shock, ∼15.9 Myr ago, suggesting that less than 0.1 per cent of its mass has been lost during the current disc-shocking event. Based on the cluster’s orbit and position in the Galaxy, we conclude that the possible extended star debris candidates are a combined effect of the shocks from the Galactic disc and evaporation from the cluster. Lastly, the evolution of the vertical component of the angular momentum shows that the cluster is strongly affected dynamically by the Galactic bar potential.

scholarly journals Recent Results on Magnetic Fields in the Milky Way

2002 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 719-720
Author(s):  
R. Wielebinski ◽  
W. Reich ◽  
E. Fürst
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Fields ◽  
Linear Polarization ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
Polarization Distribution ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Large Sections

AbstractOf all the methods available to observe magnetic fields in the Milky Way, the mapping of linear polarization at cm wavelengths has proven to be most successful. The instruments that have contributed most of the new data are the 100 m Effelsberg telescope and the Parkes 64 m dish. Their Galactic plane surveys gave us a new conception of the linear polarization distribution. A new Effelsberg 1.4 GHz ‘medium latitude polarization survey’ now being made gives us data about large sections of the Galaxy. Polarization maps of selected regions of the Galaxy are now being made at several frequencies up to 32 GHz. Data from Westerbork at ∼ 325 MHz, as well as data from the Canadian Galactic Plane Survey (CGPS) at 1.4 GHz give new exciting information.

scholarly journals VINTERGATAN III: how to reset the metallicity of the Milky Way

2021 ◽  
Vol 503 (4) ◽  
pp. 5868-5876
Author(s):  
Florent Renaud ◽  
Oscar Agertz ◽  
Eric P Andersson ◽  
Justin I Read ◽  
Nils Ryde ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
First Stars ◽  
Massive Galaxies ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Chemical Content ◽  
Major Merger ◽  
Purely Sequential

ABSTRACT Using the cosmological zoom simulation VINTERGATAN, we present a new scenario for the onset of star formation at the metal-poor end of the low-[α/Fe] sequence in a Milky Way-like galaxy. In this scenario, the galaxy is fuelled by two distinct gas flows. One is enriched by outflows from massive galaxies, but not the other. While the former feeds the inner galactic region, the latter fuels an outer gas disc, inclined with respect to the main galactic plane, and with a significantly poorer chemical content. The first passage of the last major merger galaxy triggers tidal compression in the outer disc, which increases the gas density and eventually leads to star formation, at a metallicity 0.75 dex lower than the inner galaxy. This forms the first stars of the low-[α/Fe] sequence. These in situ stars have halo-like kinematics, similar to what is observed in the Milky Way, due to the inclination of the outer disc that eventually aligns with the inner one via gravitational torques. We show that this tilting disc scenario is likely to be common in Milky Way-like galaxies. This process implies that the low-[α/Fe] sequence is populated in situ, simultaneously from two formation channels, in the inner and the outer galaxy, with distinct metallicities. This contrasts with purely sequential scenarios for the assembly of the Milky Way disc and could be tested observationally.

scholarly journals Methanol masers in the Herschel era Putting them in the star formation context

2012 ◽  
Vol 8 (S287) ◽  
pp. 492-496
Author(s):  
Michele Pestalozzi
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
High Mass ◽  
Space Observatory ◽  
Methanol Maser ◽  
Open Time ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Methanol Masers ◽  
Using Data

AbstractMethanol masers are known to be among the most reliable tracers of high-mass stars in early stages of evolution. A number of searches across the Galaxy has yielded to date, a complete census of those masers in two thirds of the Milky Way, providing a catalogue of some 800 sources to be studied in depth. In particular, it is important to characterise the physical properties of the objects hosting methanol masers, and this is possible today using data from the Herschel Space Observatory (HSO). The exceptional spatial resolution of HSO and its wavelength coverage are perfectly tuned to put the methanol maser phase into its star formation context. This paper presents results on the characterisation of methanol maser hosts using Herschel data from the Hi-GAL project, an Open Time Key Project to survey the inner Galactic plane at 5 wavelengths between 70 and 500 μm.

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