AZIMUTHAL METALLICITY STRUCTURE IN THE MILKY WAY DISK

Abstract

Elemental abundance patterns in the Galactic disk constrain theories of the formation and evolution of the Milky Way. H ii region abundances are the result of billions of years of chemical evolution. We made radio recombination line and continuum measurements of 21 H ii regions located between Galactic azimuth Az = 90??130?, a previously unexplored region. We derive the plasma electron temperatures using the line-to-continuum ratios and use them as proxies for the nebular [O/H] abundances, because in thermal equilibrium the abundance of the coolants (O, N, and other heavy elements) in the ionized gas sets the electron temperature, with high abundances producing low temperatures. Combining these data with our previous work produces a sample of 90 H ii regions with high-quality electron temperature determinations. We derive kinematic distances in a self-consistent way for the entire sample. The radial gradient in [O/H] is for Az = 90??130?, about a factor of 2 higher than the average value between Az = 0??60?. Monte Carlo simulations show that the azimuthal structure we reported for Az = 0??60? is not significant because kinematic distance uncertainties can be as high as 50% in this region. Nonetheless, the flatter radial gradients between Az = 0??60? compared with Az = 90??130? are significant within the uncertainty. We suggest that this may be due to radial mixing from the Galactic Bar whose major axis is aligned toward Az ? 30?.