Kinematic-chemical Analysis and Time Tagging for the Diagonal Ridge Structure of the Galactic Outer Disk with LAMOST Red-giant Branch Stars

Abstract

We investigate the kinematic-chemical distribution of red-giant branch stars from the LAMOST survey crossed matched with Gaia DR2 proper motions, and present time tagging for the well-known ridge structures (diagonal distributions for V _R in the R , V _ϕ plane) in the range of Galactocentric distance R = 8 to 15 kpc. We detect six ridge structures, including five ridges apparent in the radial velocity distribution and three ridges apparent in the vertical velocity, the sensitive time of which to the perturbations are from young population (0–3 Gyr) to old population (9–14 Gyr). Based on an analysis of the evolution of angular momentum distribution, we find that four ridges are relatively stationary, while another is evolving with time, which is confirmed by the difference analysis at different populations and supporting that there might be two kinds of dynamical origins. Furthermore, ridge features are also vividly present in the chemical properties ([Fe/H], [ α /Fe]). The comparison between the north and south hemispheres of the Galaxy does show some differences and the ridge features are asymmetrical. Moreover, we find that diagonal ridge structures may affect the shape of the rotation curve, which is manifested as fluctuations and undulations on top of a smooth profile. Finally we speculate that the bar dynamics should be not enough to explain all ridge properties including the break feature in the V _Z – L _Z plane.

Keywords

• Milky Way disk
• Milky Way formation