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First GLIMPSE Results on the Stellar Structure of the Galaxy | | Robert A. Benjamin
; E. Churchwell
; B. L. Babler
; R. Indebetouw
; M. R. Meade
; B. A. Whitney
; C. Watson
; M. G. Wolfire
; M. J. Wolff
; R. Ignace
; T. M. Bania
; S. Bracker
; D. P. Clemens
; L. Chomiuk
; M. Cohen
; J. M. Dickey
; J. M. Jackson
; H. A. Kobulnicky
; E. P. Mercer
; J. S. Mathis
; S. R. Stolovy
; B. Uzpen
; | | Date: |
15 Aug 2005 | | Journal: | Astrophys.J. 630 (2005) L149-L152 | | Subject: | astro-ph | | Abstract: | The GLIMPSE (Galactic Legacy Mid-Plane Survey Extraordinaire) Point Source Catalog of ~ 30 million mid-infrared sources towards the inner Galaxy, 10 < |l| < 65 degrees and |b| < 1 degree, was used to determine the distribution of stars in Galactic longitude, latitude, and apparent magnitude. The counts versus longitude can be approximated by the modified Bessel function N=N_0*(l/l_0)*K_1(l/l_0), where l_0 is insensitive to limiting magnitude, band choice, and side of Galactic center: l_0= 17-30 degrees with a best fit value in the the 4.5 micron band of l_0=24 +/- 4 degrees. Modeling the source distribution as an exponential disk yields a radial scale length of H= 3.9 +/- 0.6 kpc. There is a pronounced north-south asymmetry in source counts for |l| < 30 degrees, with ~ 25% more stars in the north. For l=10-30 degrees, there is a strong enhancement of stars of m= 11.5-13.5 mag. A linear bar passing through the Galactic center with half-length R_bar=4.4 +/- 0.5 kpc, tilted by phi=44 +/- 10 degrees to the Sun-Galactic Center line, provides the simplest interpretation of this data. We examine the possibility that enhanced source counts at l=26-28 degrees, 31.5-34 degrees, and 306-309 degrees are related to Galactic spiral structure. Total source counts are depressed in regions where the counts of red objects (m_K-m_[8.0] >3) peak. In these areas, the counts are reduced by extinction due to molecular gas and/or high diffuse backgrounds associated with star formation. | | Source: | arXiv, astro-ph/0508325 | | Services: | Forum | Review | PDF | Favorites | |
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