2,191 research outputs found
On the kinematic evolution of young local associations and the Sco-Cen complex
Context: Over the last decade, several groups of young (mainly low-mass)
stars have been discovered in the solar neighbourhood (closer than ~100 pc),
thanks to cross-correlation between X-ray, optical spectroscopy and kinematic
data. These young local associations -- including an important fraction whose
members are Hipparcos stars -- offer insights into the star formation process
in low-density environments, shed light on the substellar domain, and could
have played an important role in the recent history of the local interstellar
medium. Aims: To study the kinematic evolution of young local associations and
their relation to other young stellar groups and structures in the local
interstellar medium, thus casting new light on recent star formation processes
in the solar neighbourhood. Methods: We compiled the data published in the
literature for young local associations. Using a realistic Galactic potential
we integrated the orbits for these associations and the Sco-Cen complex back in
time. Results: Combining these data with the spatial structure of the Local
Bubble and the spiral structure of the Galaxy, we propose a recent history of
star formation in the solar neighbourhood. We suggest that both the Sco-Cen
complex and young local associations originated as a result of the impact of
the inner spiral arm shock wave against a giant molecular cloud. The core of
the giant molecular cloud formed the Sco-Cen complex, and some small cloudlets
in a halo around the giant molecular cloud formed young local associations
several million years later. We also propose a supernova in young local
associations a few million years ago as the most likely candidate to have
reheated the Local Bubble to its present temperature.Comment: 27 pages, 13 figures, 14 tables. Accepted for publication in
Astronomy & Astrophysic
Vertical velocities from proper motions of red clump giants
We derive the vertical velocities of disk stars in the range of
Galactocentric radii of R=5-16 kpc within 2 kpc in height from the Galactic
plane. This kinematic information is connected to dynamical aspects in the
formation and evolution of the Milky Way, such as the passage of satellites and
vertical resonance and determines whether the warp is a long-lived or a
transient feature.
We used the proper motions of the PPMXL survey, correcting of systematic
errors with the reference of quasars. From the color-magnitude diagram K versus
(J-K) we selected the standard candles corresponding to red clump giants and
used the information of their proper motions to build a map of the vertical
motions of our Galaxy. We derived the kinematics of the warp both analytically
and through a particle simulation to fit these data. Complementarily, we also
carried out the same analysis with red clump giants spectroscopically selected
with APOGEE data, and we predict the improvements in accuracy that will be
reached with future Gaia data.
A simple model of warp with the height of the disk z_w(R,phi)=gamma (R-R_sun)
sin(phi-phi_w) fits the vertical motions if d(gamma)/dt/gamma=-34+/-17
Gyr^{-1}; the contribution to d(gamma)/dt comes from the southern warp and is
negligible in the north. The vertical motion in the warp apparently indicates
that the main S-shaped structure of the warp is a long-lived feature, whereas
the perturbation that produces an irregularity in the southern part is most
likely a transient phenomenon. With the use of the Gaia end-of-mission products
together with spectroscopically classified red clump giants, the precision in
vertical motions can be increased by an order of magnitude at least.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A. arXiv admin note: text overlap with
arXiv:1402.355
The K supergiant runaway star HD 137071
Very few examples are known of red supergiant runaways, all of them
descending from the more massive O-type precursors, but none from the lower
mass B-type precursors, although runaway statistics among B-type stars suggest
that K-type runaways must be relatively numerous. We study HD 137071, a star
that has been considered so far as a normal K-type red giant. Its parallax
measured by Gaia and the derived luminosity suggest that it is actually a
supergiant, whereas its derived distance to the galactic plane and its spatial
velocity of 54.1 km s with respect to the local standard of rest suggest
that it is also a runaway star. However, intrinsic limitations in determining
the trigonometric parallaxes of cool supergiants, even in the Gaia era, require
accurate spectral classifications for confirmation. We reliably classify HD
137071 as a K4II star establishing its membership to the extreme Population I,
which is in agreement with the luminosity derived using the Gaia DR2 parallax
measurement. Kinematical data from the Gaia DR2 catalog confirm its high
spatial velocity and its runaway nature. Combining the spectral classification
with astrometric information, a state-of-the-art galactic potential model, and
evolutionary models for high-mass stars we trace the motion of HD 137071 back
to the proximities of the galactic plane and speculate on which of the two
proposed mechanisms for the production of runaway stars may be responsible for
the high velocity of HD 137071. The available data favor the formation of HD
137071 in a massive binary system where the more massive companion underwent a
supernova explosion about 32 Myr ago.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures. To be published in Astronomy and Astrophysic
Understanding the spiral structure of the Milky Way using the local kinematic groups
We study the spiral arm influence on the solar neighbourhood stellar
kinematics. As the nature of the Milky Way (MW) spiral arms is not completely
determined, we study two models: the Tight-Winding Approximation (TWA) model,
which represents a local approximation, and a model with self-consistent
material arms named PERLAS. This is a mass distribution with more abrupt
gravitational forces. We perform test particle simulations after tuning the two
models to the observational range for the MW spiral arm properties. We explore
the effects of the arm properties and find that a significant region of the
allowed parameter space favours the appearance of kinematic groups. The
velocity distribution is mostly sensitive to the relative spiral arm phase and
pattern speed. In all cases the arms induce strong kinematic imprints for
pattern speeds around 17 km/s/kpc (close to the 4:1 inner resonance) but no
substructure is induced close to corotation. The groups change significantly if
one moves only ~0.6 kpc in galactocentric radius, but ~2 kpc in azimuth. The
appearance time of each group is different, ranging from 0 to more than 1 Gyr.
Recent spiral arms can produce strong kinematic structures. The stellar
response to the two potential models is significantly different near the Sun,
both in density and kinematics. The PERLAS model triggers more substructure for
a larger range of pattern speed values. The kinematic groups can be used to
reduce the current uncertainty about the MW spiral structure and to test
whether this follows the TWA. However, groups such as the observed ones in the
solar vicinity can be reproduced by different parameter combinations. Data from
velocity distributions at larger distances are needed for a definitive
constraint.Comment: 18 pages, 21 figures, 4 tables; acccepted for publication in MNRA
The intricate Galaxy disk: velocity asymmetries in Gaia-TGAS
We use the Gaia-TGAS data to compare the transverse velocities in Galactic
longitude (coming from proper motions and parallaxes) in the Milky Way disk for
negative and positive longitudes as a function of distance. The transverse
velocities are strongly asymmetric and deviate significantly from the
expectations for an axisymmetric Galaxy. The value and sign of the asymmetry
changes at spatial scales of several tens of degrees in Galactic longitude and
about 0.5 kpc in distance. The asymmetry is statistically significant at 95%
confidence level for 57% of the region probed, which extends up to ~1.2 kpc. A
percentage of 24% of the region studied shows absolute differences at this
confidence level larger than 5 km/s and 7% larger than 10 km/s. The asymmetry
pattern shows mild variations in the vertical direction and with stellar type.
A first qualitative comparison with spiral arm models indicates that the arms
are unlikely to be the main source of the asymmetry. We briefly discuss
alternative origins. This is the first time that global all-sky asymmetries are
detected in the Milky Way kinematics, beyond the local neighbourhood, and with
a purely astrometric sample.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A Letter
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