Periodic Variations in the Vertical Velocities of Galactic Masers

Abstract

We compiled published data on Galactic masers with VLBI-measured trigonometric parallaxes and determined the residual tangential, ∆Vcirc, and radial, ∆VR, velocities for 120 masers. We used these data to redetermine the parameters of the Galactic spiral density wave using the method of spectral analysis. The most interesting result of this study is the detection of wavelike oscillations of vertical spatial velocities (W) versus distance R from the Galactic rotation axis. Spectral analysis allowed us to determine the perturbation wavelength and the amplitude of this wave, which we found to be equal to λW = 3.4 ± 0.7 kpc and fW = 4.9 ± 1.2 km s−1, respectively.

Keywords

• masers
• galaxy: stellar content
• galaxy: spiral arms
• stars: formation