The Alma catalogue of OB stars. III. A cross-match with Gaia DR3 and an extension based on new spectral classifications

TL;DR

This paper updates the Alma catalogue of Galactic OB stars by integrating Gaia DR3 data, applying rigorous astrometric corrections, and analyzing the catalogue's implications for Galactic structure and massive star research.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive, corrected, and extended catalogue of OB stars with Gaia data, improving distance estimates and enabling detailed Galactic structure studies.

Findings

Enhanced distance accuracy over previous catalogues

Identification of Galactic features like spiral arms and OB associations

Insights into Gaia DR3 temperature and extinction estimates for massive stars

Abstract

We present the third installment of the Alma Luminous Star (ALS) catalogue, aimed at creating the most comprehensive and clean sample of Galactic massive stars. This update extends the sample by adding approximately 2000 OB stars, incorporating astrometric and photometric data from the Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3) alongside spectroscopic information from the Galactic O-Star Catalog based on recent ground-based spectroscopic surveys. Rigorous astrometric corrections are applied to Gaia DR3 parallaxes, proper motions, and photometry, ensuring accurate distance estimates through a Bayesian method suited to this stellar population's spatial distribution in the Milky Way. We perform some comparative analyses highlighting the improved distance accuracy over previous versions, underscore the importance of precise spectral classifications with competing catalogues, and identify areas for improvement in Gaia DR3 effective temperature and extinction estimates for massive stars. We also address the challenges of having robust definitions for these objects. In addition, we explore the catalogue's ability to trace Galactic features such as spiral arms, spurs and OB associations (with some insights on the nature of Gould's Belt). Finally, we discuss the potential for further expanding the sample with upcoming surveys. This effort marks a significant advancement in the creation of a reliable census of Galactic massive stars, contributing to our understanding of the Milky Way's structure and star formation history. This catalogue should serve as a valuable reference for the massive star community, supporting research on stellar interiors, winds, stellar feedback, and other processes that make OB stars key to the evolution of galaxies.