Mapping the Galactic disk with the LAMOST and Gaia red clump sample: IV: the kinematic signature of the Galactic warp

TL;DR

This study maps the vertical velocity of stars in the Galactic disk using LAMOST and Gaia data, revealing the kinematic signature of the Galactic warp, especially in the thin disk, and confirming previous warp models.

Contribution

It provides a detailed kinematic analysis of the Galactic warp using a large stellar sample, confirming the warp's properties and its variation across the disk.

Findings

Significant vertical velocity increase with radius in the thin disk.

No significant warp signature detected in the thick disk.

Warp line-of-node angle approximately 12.5 degrees.

Abstract

Using a sample of nearly 140,000 red clump stars selected from the LAMOST and Gaia Galactic surveys, we have mapped mean vertical velocity $\overline{V_{z}}$ in the $X$-$Y$ plane for a large volume of the Galactic disk (6 $< R < 16$ kpc; $-20 <\phi< 50^{\circ}$; $|Z| < 1$ kpc). A clear signature where $\overline{V_{z}}$ increases with $R$ is detected for the chemically thin disk. The signature for the thick disk is however not significant, in line with the hot nature of this disk component. For the thin disk, the warp signature shows significant variations in both radial and azimuthal directions, in excellent agreement with the previous results of star counts. Fitting the two-dimensional distribution of $\overline{V_{z}}$ with a simple long-lived static warp model yields a line-of-node angle for this kinematic warp of about $12.5^{\circ}$, again consistent with the previous results.