Searching for the Perseus arm in the anticenter direction

Abstract

Here we propose a two step approach to provide new insights on the outer spiral arm pattern of the Milky Way: 1) a Strömgren photometric survey to map the stellar space density of moderate young type stars tracing the Perseus arm, and 2) a spectroscopic survey to determine the velocity perturbation due to the density wave through accurate Radial Velocity (RV, hereafter). First reduced preliminary data suggest an overdensity around 1.5–2 kpc, probably associated with the Perseus arm. Results from this project will present a significant step towards mapping the spiral structure between the second and the third galactic quadrant, where the determination of kinematic distances is not possible.