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On the Microlensing Optical Depth of the Galactic Bar | | HongSheng Zhao
; Shude Mao
; | | Date: |
8 May 1996 | | Subject: | astro-ph | | Affiliation: | MPA-Garching | | Abstract: | The microlensing probability (optical depth $ au$) toward the Galactic center carries information about the mass distribution of the Galactic bulge/bar, so can be used to constrain the very uncertain shape parameters of the bar. We find $tau$ depends on the bar mass, radial profile, angle, axis scale lengths and boxyness by a few simple analytical formulae, which shows: (1) $ au$ is proportional to the mass of the bar, $M$. (2) $ au$ falls along the minor axis with a strong gradient. (3) An oblate bulge can have more optical depth than a triaxial bar if the bar angle $alpha>45$ degress. (4) $ au$ is the largest if the angle $alpha$ and the axis ratio $y_0/x_0$ conspires so that $y_0/x_0= an alpha$. (5) At a fixed field on the minor axis but away from the center, boxy bars with a flat density profile tend to give a larger optical depth than ellipsoidal bars with a steep profile. (6) Main sequence sources should have a significantly lower (20-50lower) optical depth than red clump giants if main sequence stars are not observed as deep as the bright clump giants. An application to four COBE-constrained models (Dwek et al. 1994) shows most models produce optical depth $2sigma$ lower than MACHO and OGLE observed values even with both a massive bar $2.8 imes 10^{10} M_odot$ and a full disk. The high $ au$ argues for a massive ($> 2 imes 10^{10}M_odot$) boxy bar with $y_0/x0approx analpha$ and $alpha<20$ deg and with a flat radial profile up to corotation. | | Source: | arXiv, astro-ph/9605030 | | Services: | Forum | Review | PDF | Favorites | |
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