Galactic Parameters from Masers with Trigonometric Parallaxes

TL;DR

This study reanalyzes the spatial velocities of 28 masers with trigonometric parallaxes to determine Galactic rotation parameters, spiral density wave effects, and the Solar velocity relative to the local standard of rest.

Contribution

It provides new estimates of Galactic rotation parameters and spiral density wave characteristics using maser data, incorporating perturbations into Solar velocity calculations.

Findings

Galactic rotation parameters are precisely estimated.

Spiral density wave wavelength is about 2.0 kpc.

Non-perturbed Solar velocity components are determined.

Abstract

Spatial velocities of all currently known 28 masers having trigonometric parallaxes, proper motion and line-of-site velocities are reanalyzed using Bottlinger's equations. These masers are associated with 25 active star-forming regions and are located in the range of galactocentric distances 3<R<14 kpc. To determine the Galactic rotation parameters, we used the first three Taylor expansion terms of angular rotation velocity {\Omega} at the galactocentric distance of the Sun R0=8 kpc. We obtained the following solutions: {\Omega}o=-31.0 +/- 1.2 km/s/kpc, {\Omega}o'=4.46 +/- 0.21 km/s/kpc^2, {\Omega}o"=-0.876 +/- 0.067 km/s/kpc^3, Oort constants: A=17.8 +/- 0.8 km/s/kpc, B=-13.2 +/- 1.5 km/s/kpc and circular velocity of the Solar neighborhood rotation Vo=248 +/- 14 km/s. Fourier analysis of galactocentric radial velocities of masers VR allowed us to estimate the wavelength {\lambda}=2.0 +/- 0.2 kpc and peak velocity f_R=6.5 +/- 2 km/s of periodic perturbations from the density wave and velocity of the perturbations 4 +/- 1 km/s near the location of the Sun. Phase of the Sun in the density wave is estimated as {\chi}o ~ -130^o +/- 10^o. Taking into account perturbations evoked by spiral density wave we obtained the following non-perturbed components of the peculiar Solar velocity with respect to the local standard of rest (LSR) (Uo,Vo,Wo)LSR=(5.5,11,8.5) +/- (2.2,1.7,1.2) km/s.