# The intricate Galaxy disk: velocity asymmetries in Gaia-TGAS

## TL;DR

This study uses Gaia-TGAS data to reveal significant, large-scale asymmetries in the transverse velocities of stars in the Milky Way disk, challenging the assumption of axisymmetry and suggesting complex dynamical processes.

## Contribution

First detection of global all-sky velocity asymmetries in the Milky Way disk using purely astrometric data, extending beyond local neighborhood.

## Key findings

- Asymmetries are statistically significant in over half of the surveyed region.
- Velocity differences exceed 5 km/s in 24% of the region, over 10 km/s in 7%.
- Asymmetry patterns vary mildly with vertical position and stellar type.

## Abstract

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.