A quasi self-consistent model for a barred structure in the central regions
of our Galaxy is used to calculate the signature of such a triaxial structure
on the kinematical properties of star samples. We argue that, due to the
presence of a velocity dispersion, such effects are much harder to detect in
the stellar component than in the gas. It might be almost impossible to detect
stellar kinematical evidence for a bar using only l-v diagrams, if there is no
a priori knowledge of the potential. Therefore, we propose some test parameters
that can easily be applied to observed star samples, and that also incorporate
distances or proper motions. We discus the diagnostic power of these tests as a
function of the sample size and the bar strength. We conclude that about 1000
stars would be necessary to diagnose triaxiality with some statistical
confidence.Comment: 9 pages + 8 PS figures, uses aas2pp4.sty. Accepted by Ap