Re-determining the Galactic spiral density wave parameters from data on masers with trigonometric parallaxes

TL;DR

This study re-estimates the parameters of the Galactic spiral density wave using spectral analysis of maser data, revealing key wave characteristics and the Sun's position within the wave.

Contribution

It introduces a modified spectral analysis method to accurately determine spiral wave parameters from maser data across a wide galactic range.

Findings

Detected spiral density wave with wavelength 2.4 kpc

Measured wave perturbation amplitude of 7.5 km/s

Determined Sun's phase position at -160 degrees

Abstract

The parameters of the Galactic spiral wave are re-determined using a modified periodogram (spectral) analysis of the galactocentric radial velocities of 58 masers with known trigonometric parallaxes, proper motions, and line-of-site velocities. The masers span a wide range of galactocentric distances, $3<$R$<14$ kpc, which, combined with a large scatter of position angles $\theta$ of these objects in the Galactic plane XY, required an accurate account of logarithmic dependence of spiral-wave perturbations on both galactocentric distance and position angle. A periodic signal was detected corresponding to the spiral density wave with the wavelength $\lambda=2.4 \pm 0.4$ kpc, peak velocity of wave perturbations $f_R=7.5 \pm 1.5$ km s$^{-1}$, the phase of the Sun in the density wave $\chi_\odot=-160 \pm 15^\circ$, and the pitch angle of $-5.5 \pm 1^\circ$.