Sagittarius Arm Research Articles

Kinematics of Red Variables in the Solar Neighborhood I. Basic Data Obtained by an SiO Maser Survey

Abstract In order to study the streaming motions of miras in the Solar neighborhood, we newly surveyed 379 red variables in the SiO maser lines at 42.821 and 43.122 GHz with the Nobeyama 45 m radio telescope. Accurate radial velocities were obtained for 229 (220 new) detected stars. The sample was selected from optical variables found by new automated surveys: the Northern Sky Variability Survey and the All Sky Automated Survey. The new sample consists of “bluer” objects compared with those observed in the previous SiO surveys. The distances to the objects were estimated using the period–luminosity relation, and they are mostly less than 3 kpc from the Sun. The longitude–velocity diagram reveals three prominent groups of stars deviant from circular galactic rotation with a flat rotation curve. In addition to the Hercules group of stars, which was studied before, we found two new deviant groups: one toward the Perseus arm and the other toward the Sagittarius arm. These two groups both exhibit anomalous motions toward the galactic center, which seem to be consistent with the noncircular motions of these spiral arms found in recent VLBI proper-motion measurements for maser gas clumps.

Statistical study of OB stars in NGC 6334 and NGC 6357

Context. Star-forming complexes are large structures exhibiting massive star-formation at different stages of evolution, from dense cores to well-developed H ii regions. They are very interesting for the study of the formation and evolution of stars. NGC 6334 and NGC 6357 are two active and relatively nearby star-forming complexes. From the extinction map and the sub-mm cold dust emission, and because they have similar velocities, these regions are most likely connected. However, located in the direction of the Galactic center their radial velocity is not representative of their distance. An alternative is then to determine the distance of NGC 6334 and NGC 6357 from their stellar content. Aims: Our aim is to perform a census of O-B3 ionising stars in NGC 6334 and NGC 6357, to determine the extinction coefficient, and the distance of both regions. A census of O-B3 stars is an essential basis for estimating the statistical lifetime of the earliest massive star-forming phases. Methods: We performed a U, B, V, and R photometric survey of a large area covering NGC 6334 and NGC 6357 with the VIMOS (ESO-VLT) and the MOSAIC (CTIO) instruments. This allows us to have a complete census of O to B3 stars up to V = 22.6 mag. The OB stars are selected based on their U - B and B - V colors. The most robust extinction coefficient is determined from color - color plots before computing the distance of the OB stars. Results: We find a higher value than typical of the diffuse interstellar medium for RV of 3.53 ± 0.08 and 3.56 ± 0.15 for NGC 6357 and NGC 6334, respectively. Adopting these RV values, the distances of NGC 6357 and NGC 6334 are 1.9 ± 0.4 kpc and 1.7 ± 0.3 kpc. We conclude that, within the error bars, both regions are thus at the same distance of 1.75 kpc (weighted mean). We confirm that the value of RV is linked to the large dust grain content. In particular, we found that there are more very small grains in NGC 6357 than in NGC 6334, suggesting that NGC 6357 could be more evolved than NGC 6334. Placed in the Galactic context, the NGC 6334-NGC 6357 complex appears to be located at the inner edge of the Sagittarius-Carina arm. Our census of O to B3 stars leads to a count of ~230, which allows us to determine the statistical lifetime of the earliest phases of the massive stars. The starless and the protostellar phases have a mean statistical lifetime of ~1.5 × 104 yr and ~2.2 × 105 yr, respectively. Based on observations made with the VIMOS instrument at the VLT-ESO. Based on visiting astronomer observations, at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory, National Optical Astronomy Observatory, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, under contract with the National Science Foundation.Appendices are available in electronic form at http://www.aanda.orgFull Tables A.1 and A.2 are only available at the CDS via anonymous ftp to cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr (130.79.128.5) or via http://cdsarc.u-strasbg.fr/viz-bin/qcat?J/A+A/538/A142

Galactic Structure Toward the Carina Tangent

ABSTRACTThis investigation presents a photometric study of the Galactic structure toward the Carina arm tangent. The field is located between 280° and 286° Galactic longitude and -4° to 4° Galactic latitude. All currently available uvbyβ data are used to obtain homogeneous color excesses and distances for more than 260 stars of spectral types O to G. We present revised distances and average extinction for the open clusters and cluster candidates NGC 3293, NGC 3114, Lodén 46, and Lodén 112. The cluster candidate Lodén 112 appears to be a very compact group at a true distance modulus of 11.06 ± 0.11(s.e.) (), which is significantly closer than previous estimates. We found other OB stars at that same distance and, based on their proper motions, suggest a new OB association at coordinates 282° < l < 285° and -2° < b < 2°. Utilizing BV photometry and spectral classification of the known O-type stars in the very young open cluster Wd 2, we provide a new distance estimate of 14.13 ± 0.16 (s.e.) (), in excellent agreement with recent distance determinations to the giant molecular structures in this direction. We also discuss a possible connection between the H ii region RCW 45 and the highly reddened B+ star CPD -553036 and provide a revised distance for the luminous blue variable HR Car.

Variability and stellar populations with deep optical-IR images of the Milky Way disc: matching VVV with VLT/VIMOS data

We have used deep V-band and JHKs-band observations to investigate variability and stellar populations near the Galactic plane in Centaurus, and compared the observations with the Galactic model of Besancon. By applying image subtraction technique to a series of over 580 V-band frames taken with the ESO VLT/VIMOS instrument during two contiguous nights in April 2005, we have detected 333 variables among 84,734 stars in the brightness range 12.7<V<26.0 mag. Infrared data collected in March 2010 with the new ESO VISTA telescope allowed us to construct deep combined optical-IR colour-magnitude and colour-colour diagrams. All detected variables but four transit candidates are reported for the first time. The majority of the variables are eclipsing/ellipsoidal binaries and delta Scuti-type pulsators. The occurrence rate of eclipsing/ellipsoidal variables reached ~0.28% of all stars. This is very close to the highest fraction of binary systems detected using ground-based data so far (0.30%), but still about four times less than the average occurrence rate recently obtained from the Kepler space mission after 44 days of operation. Comparison of the observed Ks vs. V-Ks diagram with a diagram based on the Besancon model shows significant effects of both distance and reddening in the investigated direction of the sky. We demonstrate that the best model indicates the presence of absorbing clouds at distances 11-13 kpc from the Sun in the minor Carina-Sagittarius Arm.

UBVI CCD photometry and star counts in nine inner disc Galactic star clusters★

We present and discuss new CCD-based photometric material in the UBVI pass-bands for nine Galactic star clusters located inside the solar ring, for which no CCD data are currently available. They are: IC 2714, NGC 4052, ESO131SC09, NGC 5284, NGC 5316, NGC 5715, VdB-Hagen ~164, NGC 6268, and Czernik 38. We first perform star counts by combining our optical photometry wi th 2MASS, and derive cluster sizes and radial density profiles. The fundamental parameters - age, reddening and distance- are then inferred from the analysis of the star distribution in color-color and color-magnitude diagrams of only the spatially selected likely members. Our analysis shows that ESO131SC09, NGC 5284, and VdB-Hagen 164 are most probably not clusters, but random enhancements of a few bright stars along the line of sight, with prop erties much similar to open cluster remnants. The remaining clusters are physical groups, and are all younger than about 1 Gyr . We use the newly derived set of parameters, in particular distance and reddening, to investigate their position in the Galaxy in the context of the spiral structure of the Milky Way. We find that the youngest clusters (IC 2714, NGC 5316, and NGC 6268) are located close to or inside the Carina-Sagittarius arm, and are therefore {\i t bona fide} spiral structure tracers. On the other hand, the oldest (Czernik 38, NGC 4052, and NGC 5715) are floating in the inter-arm space between the Carina-Sagittarius and the more distant Scutum-Crux arm. Interestingly enough, the oldest clusters of this sample - Czernik 38 and NGC 5715- are among the few known open clusters to be older or as old as the Hyades in the inner Galactic disk, where star clusters are not expected to survive for a long time, because of the strong tidal field and the higher probability of close encounters .

A two-component outer ring and Galactic spiral structure

A model of the Galaxy with a ring R1R′2 can explain some large-scale morphological features of Galactic spiral structure. The Carina–Sagittarius arm could consist of two ascending segments of outer rings R1 and R2, which almost touch each other near the Carina region. The Perseus and Crux arms can be partially identified with the descending segments of ring R2. A model of a two-component outer ring can also explain the existence of some maxima in diagrams of (l, VLSR), which are supposed to correspond to directions tangential to the spiral arms. On the basis of numerical simulations, we propose two sketches of the ring structure of the Galaxy that include a bar, two outer rings, an inner ring and nuclear gas condensation, which may be a nuclear ring. Both sketches can explain the position of the Carina–Sagittarius arm with respect to the Sun.

An obscured cluster associated with the H II region RCW173

The discovery of several clusters of red supergiants towards l=24-30 deg has triggered interest in this area of the Galactic plane, where lines of sight are very complex and previous explorations of the stellar content were very preliminary. We attempt to characterise the stellar population associated with the HII region RCW173 (Sh2-60), located at l=25.3 deg, as previous studies have suggested that this population could be beyond the Sagittarius arm. We obtained UBV photometry of a stellar field to the south of the brightest part of RCW173, as well as spectroscopy of about twenty stars in the area. We combined our new data with archival 2MASS near-infrared photometry and Spitzer/GLIMPSE imaging and photometry. We find a significant population of early-type stars located at d=3.0 kpc, in good agreement with the near dynamical distance to the HII region. This population should be located at the near intersection of the Scutum-Crux arm. A luminous O7II star is likely to be the main source of ionisation. Many stars are concentrated around the bright nebulosity, where GLIMPSE images in the mid infrared show the presence of a bubble of excited material surrounding a cavity that coincides spatially with a number of B0-1V stars. We interpret this as an emerging cluster, perhaps triggered by the nearby O7II star. We also find a number of B-type giants. Some of them are located at approximately the same distance, and may be part of an older population in the same area, characterised by much lower reddening. A few have shorter distance moduli and are likely to be located in the Sagittarius arm. The line of sight in this direction is very complex. Optically visible tracers delineate two spiral arms, but seem to be absent beyond d~3 kpc. Several HII regions in this area suggest that the Scutum-Crux arm contains thick clouds actively forming stars.

A New Galactic Wolf-Rayet Star in Centaurus

I communicate the detection of a new Galactic Wolf-Rayet star (WR60a) in Centaurus. The H- and K-band spectra of WR60a show strong carbon near-infrared emission lines, characteristic of Wolf-Rayet stars of the WC5-7 subtype. Adopting mean absolute magnitude MK and mean intrinsic (J-KS) and (H-KS) colours, it was found that WR60a suffers a mean visual extinction of 3.8±1.3 magnitudes, being located at a probable heliocentric distance of 5.2±0.8 Kpc, which for the related Galactic longitude (l=312) puts this star probably in the Carina-Sagittarius arm at about 5.9 kpc from the Galactic center. I searched for clusters in the vicinity of WR60a and in principle found no previously known clusters in a search radius region of several tens arcminutes. The detection of a well-isolated WR star induced us to seek for some still unknown cluster, somewhere in the vicinity of WR60a. From inspection of 5.8 μm and 8.0 μm Spitzer/IRAC GLIMPSE images of the region around the new WR star, strong mid-infrared extended emission at about 13.5 arcmin south-west of WR60a was found. The study of the H-KS colour distribution of point sources associated with the extended emission reveals the presence of a new Galactic cluster candidate probably formed by at least 85 stars.

WR 38/38a and the ratio of total-to-selective extinction in Carina

A reanalysis of the (seemingly very distant) open cluster Shorlin 1, the group of stars associated with WR 38 and WR 38a, is made on the basis of existing UBV and JHKs observations for cluster members. The 2MASS observations, in particular, imply a mean cluster reddening of E(B-V)=1.45+-0.07 and a distance of 2.94+-0.12 kpc. The reddening agrees with the UBV results provided that the local reddening slope is described by E(U-B)/E(B-V)=0.64+-0.01, but the distance estimates in the 2MASS and UBV systems agree only if the ratio of total-to-selective extinction for the associated dust is R=Av/E(B-V)=4.0+-0.1. Both results are similar to what has been obtained for adjacent clusters in the Eta Carinae region by similar analyses, which suggests that `anomalous' dust extinction is widespread through the region, particularly for groups reddened by relatively nearby dust. Dust associated with the Eta Carinae complex itself appears to exhibit more `normal' qualities. The results have direct implications for the interpretation of distances to optical spiral arm indicators for the Galaxy at l=287-291 degrees, in particular the Carina arm here is probably little more than ~2 kpc distant, rather than 2.5-3 kpc distant as implied in previous studies. Newly-derived intrinsic parameters for the two cluster Wolf-Rayet stars WR 38 (WC4) and WR 38a (WN5) are in good agreement with what is found for other WR stars in Galactic open clusters, which was not the case previously.

Astrometry of Galactic Star-Forming Region G48.61+0.02 with VERA

Abstract We performed the astrometry of H$_2$O masers in the Galactic star-forming region G48.61$+$0.02 with the VLBI Exploration of Radio Astrometry (VERA). We derived a trigonometric parallax of 199$\ \pm\ $7$\ \mu$as, which corresponds to a distance of 5.03$\ \pm\ $0.19 kpc. The distance to G48.61$+$0.02 is about half of its far kinematic distance, which was often assumed previously. This distance places G48.61$+$0.02 in the Sagittarius–Carina arm, and near to the active star-forming region and the supernova remnant W 51. We also obtained the three-dimensional motion of G48.61$+$0.02, and found that it has a large peculiar motion of 40$\ \pm\ $5 km s$^{-1}$. This peculiar motion would have originated along with multiple supernovae explosions in W 51, or streaming motion across the Sagittarius–Carina arm.

On the spiral structure of the Milky Way Galaxy

We consider the possible pattern of the overall spiral structure of the Galaxy, using data on the distribution of neutral (atomic), molecular, and ionized hydrogen, on the base of the hypothesis of the spiral structure being symmetric, i.e. the assumption that spiral arms are translated into each other for a rotation around the galactic center by 180{\deg} (a two-arm pattern) or by 90{\deg} (a four-arm pattern). We demonstrate that, for the inner region, the observations are best represented with a four-arm scheme of the spiral pattern, associated with all-Galaxy spiral density waves. The basic position is that of the Carina arm, reliably determined from distances to HII regions and from HI and H2 radial velocities. This pattern is continued in the quadrants III and IV with weak outer HI arms; from their morphology, the Galaxy should be considered an asymmetric multi-arm spiral. The kneed shape of the outer arms that consist of straight segments can indicate that these arms are transient formations that appeared due to a gravitational instability in the gas disk. The distances between HI superclouds in the two arms that are the brightest in neutral hydrogen, the Carina arm and the Cygnus (Outer) arm, concentrate to two values, permitting to assume the presence of a regular magnetic field in these arms.

PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND GALACTIC DISTRIBUTION OF MOLECULAR CLOUDS IDENTIFIED IN THE GALACTIC RING SURVEY

We derive the physical properties of 580 molecular clouds based on their 12CO and 13CO line emission detected in the University of Massachusetts-Stony Brook (UMSB) and Galactic Ring surveys. We provide a range of values of the physical properties of molecular clouds, and find a power-law correlation between their radii and masses, suggesting that the fractal dimension of the ISM is around 2.36. This relation, M = (228 +/- 18) R^{2.36+/-0.04}, allows us to derive masses for an additional 170 GRS molecular clouds not covered by the UMSB survey. We derive the Galactic surface mass density of molecular gas and examine its spatial variations throughout the Galaxy. We find that the azimuthally averaged Galactic surface density of molecular gas peaks between Galactocentric radii of 4 and 5 kpc. Although the Perseus arm is not detected in molecular gas, the Galactic surface density of molecular gas is enhanced along the positions of the Scutum-Crux and Sagittarius arms. This may indicate that molecular clouds form in spiral arms and are disrupted in the inter-arm space. Last, we find that the CO excitation temperature of molecular clouds decreases away from the Galactic center, suggesting a possible decline in the star formation rate with Galactocentric radius. There is a marginally significant enhancement in the CO excitation temperature of molecular clouds at a Galactocentric radius of about 6 kpc, which in the longitude range of the GRS corresponds to the Sagittarius arm. This temperature increase could be associated with massive star formation in the Sagittarius spiral arm.

The Red MSX Source survey: distribution and properties of a sample of massive young stars

The Red MSX Source (RMS) survey has identified a large sample of massive young stellar objects (MYSOs) and ultra compact (UC) HII regions from a sample of ~2000 MSX and 2MASS colour selected sources. Using a recent catalogue of molecular clouds derived from the Boston University-Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory Galactic Ring Survey (GRS), and by applying a Galactic scaleheight cut off of 120 pc, we solve the distance ambiguity for RMS sources located within 18\degr < |l| > 54\degr. These two steps yield kinematic distances to 291 sources out of a possible 326 located within the GRS longitude range. Combining distances and integrated fluxes derived from spectral energy distributions, we estimate luminosities to these sources and find that > 90% are indicative of the presence of a massive star. We find the completeness limit of our sample is ~10^4 Lsun, which corresponds to a zero age main sequence (ZAMS) star with a mass of ~12 Msun. Selecting only these sources, we construct a complete sample of 196 sources. Comparing the properties of the sample of young massive stars with the general population, we find the RMS-clouds are generally larger, more massive, and more turbulent. We examine the distribution of this sub-sample with respect to the location of the spiral arms and the Galactic bar and find them to be spatially correlated. We identify three significant peaks in the source surface density at Galactocentric radii of approximately 4, 6 and 8 kpc, which correspond to the proposed positions of the Scutum, Sagittarius and Perseus spiral arms, respectively. Fitting a scale height to the data we obtain an average value of ~29+-0.5 pc, which agrees well with other reported values in the literature, however, we note a dependence of the scale height on galactocentric radius with it increases from 30 pc to 45 pc between 2.5 and 8.5 kpc.

PHOTOMETRIC CHARACTERIZATION OF THE GALACTIC STAR CLUSTER TRUMPLER 20

We present deep UBVI photometry for Trumpler 20, a rich, intermediate-age open cluster located at l = 30147, b = +222 (α = 12h39m34s, δ = −60°37'00'', J2000.0) in the fourth Galactic quadrant. In spite of its interesting properties, this cluster has received little attention, probably because the line of sight to it crosses the Carina spiral arm twice (and possibly also the Scutum-Crux arm), which causes significant contamination of its color–magnitude diagram (CMD) by field stars, therefore seriously complicating its interpretation. In this paper, we provide more robust estimates of the fundamental parameters of Trumpler 20 and investigate the most prominent features of its CMD: a rich He-burning star clump, and a vertical sequence of stars above the turnoff, which can be either blue stragglers or field stars. Our precise photometry, in combination with previous investigations, has allowed us to derive updated values of the age and heliocentric distance of Trumpler 20, which we estimate to be 1.4 ± 0.2 Gyr and 3.0 ± 0.3 kpc, respectively. As predicted by models, at this age the clump has a tail toward fainter magnitudes and bluer colors, thus providing further confirmation of the evolutionary status of stars in this particular phase. The derived heliocentric distance places the cluster in the inter-arm region between the Carina and Scutum arms, which naturally explains the presence of the vertical sequence of stars (which was originally interpreted as the cluster itself) observed in the upper part of the CMD. Most of these stars would therefore belong to the general galactic field, while only a few of them would be bona fide cluster blue stragglers. Our data suggest that the cluster metallicity is solar and its reddening is E(B − V) = 0.35 ± 0.04. Finally, we believe we have solved a previously reported inconsistency between the spectroscopic temperatures and colors of giant stars in the cluster.

Characterization of 15 overlooked Ruprecht clusters with ages within 400 Myr and 3 Gyr

We derive fundamental, structural, and photometric parameters of 15 overlooked Ruprecht (hereafter Ru) star clusters by means of 2MASS photometry and field-star decontamination. Ru\,1, 10, 23, 26, 27, 34, 35, 37, 41, 54, 60, 63, 66, and 152 are located in the third Galactic quadrant, while Ru\,174 is in the first. With the constraints imposed by the field-decontaminated colour-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) and stellar radial density profiles (RDPs), we derive ages in the range 400\,Myr --- 1\,Gyr, except for the older Ru\,37, with $\sim3$\,Gyr. Distances from the Sun are within $\rm1.5\la\ds(kpc)\la8.0$. The RDPs are well-defined and can be described by a King-like profile for most of the radial range, except for Ru\,23, 27, 41, 63, and 174, which present a conspicuous stellar density excess in the central region. The clusters dwell between (or close to) the Perseus and Sagittarius-Carina arms. We derive evidence in favour of cluster size increasing with distance to the Galactic plane ($\zgc$), which is consistent with a low frequency of tidal stress associated with high-$|\zgc|$ regions. The clusters are rather faint even in the near-infrared, with apparent integrated \jj\ magnitudes within $6.4\la m_J\la9.8$, while their absolute magnitudes are $-6.6\la M_J\la-2.6$. Extrapolation of the relation between $M_V$ and $M_J$, derived for globular clusters, suggests that they are low-luminosity optical clusters, with $-5\la M_V\la-1$.

The Carina spiral feature: Strömgren-β photometry approach

Aims. In recent years a significant development has become evident in the study of the stellar structure of the Galactic disk. This is especially true for the 3rd Galactic quadrant, where the stellar population was extensively investigated beyond 10 kpc, revealing details about the warped geometry of the thin and thick disks and outer arm. The 4th Galactic quadrant offers even better opportunity to follow the distribution of the young stellar populace to a large distance, since the line of sight is parallel to the largest single segment of a spiral arm seen from our position in the Galaxy: the Carina spiral feature. This paper further contributes to the study of the structure of the Galactic disk in the direction of Carina field utilizing homogeneous photometric distances of a sample of about 600 bright early-type stars seen in this direction up to 6 kpc. Methods. The derived stellar distances are based on uvbyβ photometry. All O and B type stars with uvbyβ data presently available are included in the study. Results. The photometry-derived parameters allow us to study the structure and characteristics of this segment of the Carina arm. We find that the stellar distribution is consistent with a location of the apparent edge of the arm at l = 287 ◦ . Toward the edge of the arm the warp of the Galactic plane can be traced up to 6 kpc where it reaches negative 200 pc. The field toward the edge seems to be much more complex than harboring just one OB association, and it is likely that some of the apparent concentrations in this field represent parts of long segments of the edge. In the 284 ◦ ‐289 ◦ longitude range an interarm space about 1 kpc wide is found beyond 850 pc from the Sun. The giant molecular clouds and open clusters do not follow the edge of the arm as defined by the OB stars and indicate a possible presence of an age gradient in a direction perpendicular to the formal Galactic plane.

Distance to G14.33–0.64 in the Sagittarius Spiral Arm: H2O Maser Trigonometric Parallax with VERA

We report on trigonometric parallax measurements for the Galactic star-forming region G14.33$-$0.64 toward the Sagittarius spiral arm. We conducted multi-epoch phase-referencing observations of an H$_2$O maser source in G14.33$-$0.64 with the Japanese VLBI array VERA. We successfully detected a parallax of $\pi =$ 0.893$ \pm $0.101 mas, corresponding to a source distance of $d =$ 1.12$ \pm $0.13 kpc, which is less than half of the kinematic distance for G14.33$-$0.64. Our new distance measurement demonstrates that the Sagittarius arm lies at a closer distance of $\sim$ 1 kpc, instead of the previously assumed $\sim$2–3 kpc from the kinematic distances. The previously suggested deviation of the Sagittarius arm toward the Galactic center from the symmetrically fitted model (Taylor &amp; Cordes 1993, ApJ, 411, 674) is likely due to large errors of the kinematic distances at low galactic longitudes. G14.33$-$0.64 most likely traces the near side of the Sagittarius arm. We attempted to fit the pitch angle of the arm with other parallax measurements along the arm, which yielded two possible pitch angles of $i =$ 34°.7$ \pm $2°.7 and $i =$ 11.D2$ \pm $10.D5. Our proper-motion measurements suggest that G14.33$-$0.64 has no significant peculiar motion relative to the differential rotation of the Galaxy (assumed to be in a circular orbit), indicating that the source motion is in good agreement with the Galactic rotation.

Diffuse radio recombination line emission on the Galactic plane between ℓ=36° and44°

Radio recombination lines (RRLs) can be used to determine the emission measure unambiguously along the Galactic plane. We use the deep (2100 s per beam) H I Parkes Zone of Avoidance (ZOA) survey which includes three RRLs (H166α, H167α and H168α) within its bandwidth. The region � = 36 ◦ to 44 ◦ , b =− 4 ◦ to +4 ◦ is chosen to include emission from the Local, Sagittarius and Scutum arms. An 8 ◦ × 8 ◦ data cube centred at (� , b) = (40 ◦ ,0 ◦ )i s constructed of RRL spectra with velocity and spatial resolution of 27 km s −1 and 15.5 arcmin, respectively. Well-known H II regions are identified as well as the diffuse RRL emission on the Galactic plane. A Galactic latitude section of the integrated RRL emission across the Galactic plane delineates the brightness temperature (T b) distribution which has a half-power width in latitude of � 1. ◦ 5. A value of the electron temperature T e � 8000 K is derived from a comparison with the Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe (WMAP) free–free maximum entropy method. The T b distribution from the present RRL data is combined with the WMAP 5-yr data to derive the latitude distribution of the residual ‘anomalous’ emission on the Galactic ridge. In this paper, we demonstrate that diffuse ionized emission on the Galactic ridge can be recovered using RRLs from the ZOA survey. This method is therefore able to complement the Hα data at low Galactic latitudes, to enable an all-sky free–free template to be derived.

Polarimetry of an intermediate-age open cluster: NGC 5617

We present polarimetric observations in the UBVRI bands of 72 stars located in the direction of the medium age open cluster NGC 5617. Our intention is to use polarimetry as a tool membership identification, by building on previous investigations intended mainly to determine the cluster's general characteristics rather than provide membership suitable for studies such as stellar content and metallicity, as well as study the characteristics of the dust lying between the Sun and the cluster. The obsevations were carried out using the five-channel photopolarimeter of the Torino Astronomical Observatory attached to the 2.15m telescope at the Complejo Astron\'omico El Leoncito (CASLEO; Argentina. We are able to add 32 stars to the list of members of NGC 5617, and review the situation for others listed in the literature. In particular, we find that five blue straggler stars in the region of the cluster are located behind the same dust as the member stars are and we confirm the membership of two red giants. The proposed polarimetric memberships are compared with those derived by photometric and kinematical methods, with excellent results. Among the observed stars, we identify 10 with intrinsic polarization in their light. NGC 5617 can be polarimetrically characterized with $P_{max}= 4.40%$ and $ \theta_{v}= 73^\circ.1$. The spread in polarization values for the stars observed in the direction of the cluster seems to be caused by the uneven distribution of dust in front of the cluster's face. Finally, we find that in the direction of the cluster, the interstellar medium is apparently free of dust, from the Sun's position up to the Carina-Sagittarius arm, where NGC 5617 seems to be located at its farthest border.

VERA Observations of H$_2$O Maser Sources in Three Massive Star-Forming Regions and Galactic Rotation Measurements

We present the results of VLBI observations of three H$_2$O maser sources in massive star-forming regions: IRAS 06058$+$2138, IRAS 19213$+$1723, and AFGL 2789. We determined the annual parallaxes and proper motions for these sources by a phase-referencing method. The estimated distances to IRAS 06058$+$2138 and AFGL 2789 are 1.76$\pm$0.11 kpc and 3.07$\pm$0.30 kpc, which are located in the Perseus spiral arm. The distance to IRAS 19213$+$1723 is 3.98$\pm$0.57 kpc, placing it in the Carina–Sagittarius arm. With estimated 3-dimensional velocity components, we have shown that the galactic rotation curve is flat in the range of 6.4 kpc $\le R \le$ 13 kpc as combining with S 269, which was observed with VERA. We have also found that the overall rotation curve of the Galaxy do not depend on $\Theta_0$. The maser sources also show deviations from flat rotation curves by a few kilometers per second. We discuss possible reasons for these peculiar motions.