Basic Kinematics of the Galactic Disk from Open Cluster Data

Abstract

The kinematic parameters of the Galactic disk are redetermined based on open-cluster data. It is shown that the Bottlinger-Oort model of pure circular rotation can be confidently used to describe the observed motions of disk objects at least out to heliocentric distances of 3.5 kpc.

Keywords

• galaxy: disk
• galaxy: fundamental parameters
• open clusters and associations: general