High-velocity Cloud Complex Research Articles

H i Kinematics and the E(B − V)/N(H i) Ratio

The λ21 cm H i emission that is used to trace the gas-to-dust ratio at high Galactic latitudes has contributions from material beyond the Milky Way disk, with uncertain and likely subsolar metallicity and dust content. These contributions can be isolated kinematically and their presence is clear for sightlines with small mean reddening 〈E(B − V)〉 ≲ 0.03 mag, which have mean ratios 〈N(H i)〉/〈E(B − V)〉 that are 20%–50% above the high-latitude Galactic average 〈N(H i)〉/〈E(B − V)〉 = 8.3 × 1021 cm−2 mag−1. By mapping N(H i) and E(B − V) across H i high-velocity cloud complexes and the Magellanic Clouds, we show that the reddening of this kinematically isolated gas is on average 5 times smaller per H i than the high-latitude average. However, the aggregate contribution of this gas is small and 〈N(H i)〉/〈E(B − V)〉 = 8.3 × 1021 cm−2 mag−1 is the appropriate value for Galactic gas seen at high latitude using the H i and reddening measures employed here and in our previous work.

Dust-to-neutral gas ratio of the intermediate- and high-velocity H i clouds derived based on the sub-mm dust emission for the whole sky

ABSTRACT We derived the dust-to-H i ratio of the intermediate-velocity clouds (IVCs), the high-velocity clouds (HVCs), and the local H i gas, by carrying out a multiple-regression analysis of the 21 cm H i emission combined with the sub-mm dust optical depth. The method covers over 80 per cent of the sky contiguously at a resolution of 47 arcmin and is distinguished from the absorption-line measurements toward bright galaxies and stars covering a tiny fraction of the sky. Major results include that the ratio of the IVCs is in a range of 0.1–1.5 with a mode at 0.6 (relative to the solar-neighbourhood value, likewise below) and that a significant fraction, ∼20 per cent, of the IVCs include dust-poor gas with a ratio of <0.5. It is confirmed that 50 per cent of the HVC Complex C has a ratio of <0.3, and that the Magellanic Stream has the lowest ratio with a mode at ∼0.1. The results prove that some IVCs have low metallicity gas, contrary to the previous absorption-line measurements. Considering that the recent works show that the IVCs are interacting and exchanging momentum with the high-metallicity Galactic halo gas, we argue that the high-metallicity gas contaminates a significant fraction of the IVCs. Accordingly, we argue that the IVCs include a significant fraction of the low-metallicity gas supplied from outside the Galaxy as an alternative to the Galactic-fountain model.

Magnetic field draping around clumpy high-velocity clouds in galactic halo

ABSTRACT Throughout the passage within the Galactic halo, high-velocity clouds (HVCs) sweep up ambient magnetic fields and form stretched and draped configurations of magnetic fields around them. Many earlier numerical studies adopt spherically symmetric uniform-density clouds as initial conditions for simplicity. However, observations demonstrate that HVCs are clumpy and turbulent. In this paper, we perform 3D magnetohydrodynamic simulations to study the evolution of clouds with initial density distributions described by power-law spatial power spectra. We systematically study the role of (i) the initial density structure, (ii) halo magnetic fields, and (iii) radiative cooling efficiency upon infalling HVCs. We find that (i) the clouds’ density structure regulates mixing and mass growth. Uniform clouds grow from the onset of the simulations, while clumpy clouds initially lose gas and then grow at later times. Along the same lines, the growth curve of clumpy clouds depends on the slope of the initial density power spectra. (ii) Magnetic fields suppress hydrodynamic instabilities and the growth of small-scale structures. As a result, magnetized clouds develop long filaments extended along the streaming direction, whereas non-magnetized clouds are fragmented into many small clumps. (iii) Efficient cooling keeps the main cloud body more compact and produces decelerated dense clumps condensed from the halo gas. This work potentially helps us understand and predict the observed properties of HVCs such as the detectability of magnetized clouds, the presence of decelerated HI structures associated with HVC complexes and small-scale features, and a possible link between the origin and the fate of HVCs.

Detection of Dust in High-velocity Cloud Complex C–Enriched Gas Accreting onto the Milky Way * * Based on observations made with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained from the Data Archive at the Space Telescope Science Institute, which is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555. These observations are associated with program

We present the detection of dust depletion in Complex C, a massive, infalling, low-metallicity high-velocity cloud in the northern Galactic hemisphere that traces the ongoing accretion of gas onto the Milky Way. We analyze a very high signal-to-noise Hubble Space Telescope Cosmic Origins Spectrograph spectrum of active galactic nucleus (AGN) Mrk 817 formed by coadding 165 individual exposures taken under the AGN STORM 2 program, allowing us to determine dust-depletion patterns in Complex C at unprecedented precision. By fitting Voigt components to the O i, S ii, N i, Si ii, Fe ii, and Al ii absorption and applying ionization corrections from customized Cloudy photoionization models, we find subsolar elemental abundance ratios of [Fe/S] = −0.42 ± 0.08, [Si/S] = −0.29 ± 0.05, and [Al/S] = −0.53 ± 0.08. These ratios indicate the depletion of Fe, Si, and Al into dust grains, since S is mostly undepleted. The detection of dust provides an important constraint on the origin of Complex C, as dust grains indicate the gas has been processed through galaxies, rather than being purely extragalactic. We also derive a low metallicity of Complex C of [S/H] = −0.51 ± 0.16 (≈31% solar), confirming earlier results from this sight line. We discuss origin models that could explain the presence of dust in Complex C, including Galactic fountain models, tidal stripping from the Magellanic Clouds or other satellite galaxies, and precipitation of coronal gas onto dust-bearing “seed” clouds.

The Distance to High-velocity Cloud Complex M

λ-21 cm HI4PI survey data are used to study the anomalous-velocity hydrogen gas associated with high-velocity cloud Complex M. These high-sensitivity, high-resolution, high-dynamic-range data show that many of the individual features, including MI, MIIa, and MIIb, are components of a long, arched filament that extends from about (l, b) = (105°, 53°) to (l, b) = (196°, 55°). Maps at different velocities, results from Gaussian analysis, and observations of associated high-energy emission make a compelling case that the MI cloud and the arched filament are physically interacting. If this is the case, we can use the distance to MI, 150 pc as reported by Schmelz & Verschuur, to set the distance to Complex M. The estimated mass of Complex M is then about 120 M ⊙, and the energy implied using the observed line-of-sight velocity, −85 km s−1, is 8.4 × 1048 erg. Integrating over 4π sr, the total energy for a spherically symmetrical explosion is estimated to be 1.9 × 1050 erg, well within the energy budget of a typical supernova.

Radio and γ-ray Evidence for the Supernova Origin of High-velocity Cloud Complex M

Using λ21 cm galactic neutral hydrogen data from the HI4PI survey and 0.75–30 MeV γ-ray emission from the Imaging Compton Telescope, we have searched for the origin event that accelerated high-velocity cloud Complex M. Radio plots of l − b, l − v, and b − v show a cavity centered at (l, b) ∼ (150°, 50.°) and extending about ±33°. The best view of the cavity is at a velocity of −25 km s−1, which shows a circular cross section on the back (receding) face. Complex M, at −85 km s−1, is on the front (approaching) face. The γ-ray emission reveals several minima, the largest centered at (l, b) ∼(150°, 50.°) and coincident with the position and extent of the cavity seen in the radio data. Using the known distance to Complex M and assuming that the cavity is spherical, we can bootstrap the distance to the original, explosive source of the cavity D = 307 pc, calculate the radius of the cavity R = 166 pc, and approximate the expansion velocity V E ≈ 40 km s−1 of the cavity. The total energy of the expanding cavity is 3.0 ± 1.0 × 1050 erg, well within the range of a single supernova. These results indicate that this explosion took place about four million years ago. As the blast wave from this supernova propagated outwards, it began to sweep up interstellar gas and carved out the Local Chimney, a low-density extension of the Local Bubble that reaches into the galactic halo.

Resolving the Formation of Cold H i Filaments in the High-velocity Cloud Complex C

Abstract The physical properties of galactic halo gas have a profound impact on the life cycle of galaxies. As gas travels through a galactic halo, it undergoes dynamical interactions, influencing its impact on star formation and the chemical evolution of the galactic disk. In the Milky Way halo, considerable effort has been made to understand the spatial distribution of neutral gas, which is mostly in the form of large complexes. However, the internal variations of their physical properties remain unclear. In this study, we investigate the thermal and dynamical state of the neutral gas in high-velocity clouds. High-resolution observations (1.′1) of the 21 cm line emission in the EN field of the DHIGLS H i survey are used to analyze the physical properties of the bright concentration CIB located at an edge of a large HVC complex, complex C. We use the Gaussian decomposition code ROHSA to model the multiphase content of CIB and perform a power spectrum analysis to analyze its multiscale structure. The physical properties of some 200 structures extracted using dendrograms are examined. Each phase exhibits different thermal and turbulent properties. We identify two distinct regions, one of which has a prominent protrusion extending from the edge of complex C that exhibits an ongoing phase transition from warm diffuse gas to cold dense gas and filaments. The scale at which the warm gas becomes unstable and undergoes thermal condensation is about 15 pc, corresponding to a cooling time of about 1.5 Myr. Our study characterizes the statistical properties of turbulence in the fluid of an HVC for the first time. We find that a transition from subsonic to transonic turbulence is associated with the thermal condensation, going from large to small scales. A large-scale perspective of complex C suggests that hydrodynamic instabilities are involved in creating the structured concentration CIB and the phase transition therein. However, the details of the dynamical and thermal processes remain unclear and will require further investigation through both observations and numerical simulations.

Exploring Hydrodynamic Instabilities along the Infalling High-velocity Cloud Complex A

Abstract Complex A is a high-velocity cloud (HVC) that is traversing through the Galactic halo toward the Milky Way’s disk. We combine both new and archival Green Bank Telescope observations to construct a spectroscopically resolved H i 21 cm map of this entire complex at a 17.1 ≲ log ( N H I , 1 σ / cm − 2 ) ≲ 17.9 sensitivity for a FWHM = 20 km s − 1 line and Δθ = 9.′1 or 17 ≲ Δd θ ≲ 30 pc spatial resolution. We find that Complex A has a Galactic standard of rest frame velocity gradient of Δ v GSR / Δ L = 25 km s − 1 kpc − 1 along its length, that it is decelerating at a rate of 〈 a 〉 GSR = 55 km yr − 2 , and that it will reach the Galactic plane in Δt ≲ 70 Myr if it can survive the journey. We have identified numerous signatures of gas disruption. The elongated and multi-core structure of Complex A indicates that either thermodynamic instabilities or shock-cascade processes have fragmented this stream. We find Rayleigh–Taylor fingers on the low-latitude edge of this HVC; many have been pushed backward by ram pressure stripping. On the high-latitude side of the complex, Kelvin–Helmholtz instabilities have generated two large wings that extend tangentially off Complex A. The tips of these wings curve slightly forward in the direction of motion and have an elevated H i column density, indicating that these wings are forming Rayleigh–Taylor globules at their tips and that this gas is becoming entangled with unseen vortices in the surrounding coronal gas. These observations provide new insights on the survivability of low-metallicity gas streams that are accreting onto L ⋆ galaxies.

Estimating the Fuel Supply Rate on the Galactic Disk from High-velocity Cloud (HVC) Infall

Abstract Previous studies suggest that the estimated maximum accretion rate from approaching high-velocity clouds (HVCs) on the Galactic disk can be up to . In this study, we point out that the hydrodynamic interaction between the HVCs and the Galactic disk is not considered in the traditional method of estimating the infall rate, and therefore the true supply rate of fuel from HVCs can be different from the suggested value depending on the physical configurations of HVCs including density, velocity, and distance. We choose 11 HVC complexes and construct four different infall models in our simulations to give an idea of how the fuel supply rate could be different from the traditional infall rate. Our simulation results show that the fuel supply rate from HVC infall is overestimated in the traditional method and can be lowered by a factor of ∼0.072 when the hydrodynamic interaction of the HVC complexes and the disk is considered.

The effect of rotation on the thermal instability of stratified galactic atmospheres – II. The formation of high-velocity clouds

Whether High Velocity Clouds (HVCs) can form by condensation of the hot ($T \sim 10^6 \, {\rm K}$) Galactic corona as a consequence of thermal instabilities has been controversial. Here we re-examine this problem and we suggest that rotation of the corona might be a missing key ingredient. We do this by studying the evolution of the models of rotating galactic coronae presented in Sormani et al. (2018) under the presence of cooling and thermal conduction. We combine a linear stability analysis with the results of local and global hydrodynamical simulations. We find that condensations are likely to occur in regions where the corona has substantial rotational support. Under reasonably general assumptions on the rotation profile of the corona, the locations where condensations are expected are in remarkable agreement with the observed location of the major non-magellanic HVCs complexes in our Galaxy (namely, at distances $< 15 \, \rm kpc$ from the Sun and within $30^\circ$ from the disc plane). We conclude that HVCs can form by thermal instabilities provided that (i) the corona is rotating substantially in the inner ($R < 50 \, \rm kpc$) parts, as suggested by current observational data and predicted by cosmological simulations of galaxy formation; (ii) close to the disc the corona is well-represented by a nearly-equilibrium stratified rotating structure (as opposed to a fast cooling flow). Our results also suggest that a better understanding of the disc-halo interface, including supernova feedback, is critical to understand the origin of HVCs.

A new all-sky map of Galactic high-velocity clouds from the 21-cm HI4PI survey

High-velocity clouds (HVCs) are neutral or ionised gas clouds in the vicinity of the Milky Way that are characterised by high radial velocities inconsistent with participation in the regular rotation of the Galactic disc. Previous attempts to create a homogeneous all-sky HI map of HVCs have been hampered by a combination of poor angular resolution, limited surface brightness sensitivity and suboptimal sampling. Here, a new and improved HI map of Galactic HVCs based on the all-sky HI4PI survey is presented. The new map is fully sampled and provides significantly better angular resolution (16.2 versus 36 arcmin) and column density sensitivity (2.3 versus 3.7 * 10^18 cm^-2 at the native resolution) than the previously available LAB survey. The new HVC map resolves many of the major HVC complexes in the sky into an intricate network of narrow HI filaments and clumps that were not previously resolved by the LAB survey. The resulting sky coverage fraction of high-velocity HI emission above a column density level of 2 * 10^18 cm^-2 is approximately 15 per cent, which reduces to about 13 per cent when the Magellanic Clouds and other non-HVC emission are removed. The differential sky coverage fraction as a function of column density obeys a truncated power law with an exponent of -0.93 and a turnover point at about 5 * 10^19 cm^-2. HI column density and velocity maps of the HVC sky are made publicly available as FITS images for scientific use by the community.

G181.1+9.5, a new high-latitude low-surface brightness supernova remnant

More than 90% of the known Milky Way supernova remnants are within 5 degrees of the Galactic Plane. We present the discovery of the supernova remnant G181.1+9.5, a new high-latitude SNR, serendipitously discovered in an ongoing survey of the Galactic Anti-centre High-Velocity Cloud complex, observed with the DRAO Synthesis Telescope in the 21~cm radio continuum and HI spectral line. We use radio continuum observations (including the linearly polarized component) at 1420~MHz (observed with the DRAO ST) and 4850~MHz (observed with the Effelsberg 100-m radio telescope) to map G181.1+9.5 and determine its nature as a SNR. High-resolution 21~cm HI line observations and HI emission and absorption spectra reveal the physical characteristics of its local interstellar environment. Finally, we estimate the basic physical parameters of G181.1+9.5 using models for highly-evolved SNRs. G181.1+9.5 has a circular shell-like morphology with a radius of about 16~pc at a distance of 1.5 kpc some 250 pc above the mid-plane. The radio observations reveal highly linearly polarized emission with a non-thermal spectrum. Archival ROSAT X-ray data reveal high-energy emission from the interior of G181.1+9.5 indicative of the presence of shock-heated ejecta. The SNR is in the advanced radiative phase of SNR evolution, expanding into the HVC inter-cloud medium with a density of 1$~cm$^{-3}$. Basic physical attributes of G181.1+9.5 calculated with radiative SNR models show an upper-limit age of 16,000 years, a swept-up mass of more than 300 solar masses, and an ambient density in agreement with that estimated from HI observations. G181.1+9.5 shows all characteristics of a typical mature shell-type SNR, but its observed faintness is unusual and requires further study.

THE FIRST DISTANCE CONSTRAINT ON THE RENEGADE HIGH-VELOCITY CLOUD COMPLEX WD

ABSTRACT We present medium-resolution, near-ultraviolet Very Large Telescope/FLAMES observations of the star USNO-A0600-15865535. We adapt a standard method of stellar typing to our measurement of the shape of the Balmer ϵ absorption line to demonstrate that USNO-A0600-15865535 is a blue horizontal branch star, residing in the lower stellar halo at a distance of 4.4 kpc from the Sun. We measure the H &amp; K lines of singly ionized calcium and find two isolated velocity components, one originating in the disk, and one associated with the high-velocity cloud complex WD. This detection demonstrated that complex WD is closer than ∼4.4 kpc and is the first distance constraint on the +100 km s−1 Galactic complex of clouds. We find that complex WD is not in corotation with the Galactic disk, which has been assumed for decades. We examine a number of scenarios and find that the most likely scenario is that complex WD was ejected from the solar neighborhood and is only a few kiloparsecs from the Sun.

FINDING GAS-RICH DWARF GALAXIES BETRAYED BY THEIR ULTRAVIOLET EMISSION

We present ultraviolet (UV) follow-up of a sample of potential dwarf galaxy candidates selected for their neutral hydrogen (HI) properties, taking advantage of the low UV background seen by the GALEX satellite and its large and publicly available imaging footprint. The HI clouds, which are drawn from published GALFA-HI and ALFALFA HI survey compact cloud catalogs, are selected to be galaxy candidates based on their spatial compactness and non-association with known high-velocity cloud complexes or Galactic HI emission. Based on a comparison of their UV characteristics to those of known dwarf galaxies, half (48%) of the compact HI clouds have at least one potential stellar counterpart with UV properties similar to those of nearby dwarf galaxies. If galaxies, the star formation rates, HI masses, and star formation efficiencies of these systems follow the trends seen for much larger galaxies. The presence of UV emission is an efficient method to identify the best targets for spectroscopic follow-up, which is necessary to prove that the stars are associated with the compact HI. Further, searches of this nature help to refine the salient HI properties of likely dwarfs (even beyond the Local Group). In particular, HI compact clouds considered to be velocity outliers relative to their neighbor HI clouds have the most significant detection rate of single, appropriate UV counterparts. Correcting for the sky coverage of the two all-Arecibo sky surveys yielding the compact HI clouds, these results may imply the presence of potentially hundreds of new tiny galaxies across the entire sky.

Galactic hail: the origin of the high-velocity cloud complex C

Abstract High-velocity clouds consist of cold gas that appears to be raining down from the halo to the disc of the Milky Way. Over the past 50 years, two competing scenarios have attributed their origin either to gas accretion from outside the Galaxy or to circulation of gas from the Galactic disc powered by supernova feedback (galactic fountain). Here, we show that both mechanisms are simultaneously at work. We use a new galactic fountain model combined with high-resolution hydrodynamical simulations. We focus on the prototypical cloud complex C and show that it was produced by an explosion that occurred in the Cygnus-Outer spiral arm about 150 Myr ago. The ejected material has triggered the condensation of a large portion of the circumgalactic medium and caused its subsequent accretion on to the disc. This fountain-driven cooling of the lower Galactic corona provides the low-metallicity gas required by chemical evolution models of the Milky Way's disc.

DISCOVERY OF STAR FORMATION IN THE EXTREME OUTER GALAXY POSSIBLY INDUCED BY A HIGH-VELOCITY CLOUD IMPACT

We report the discovery of star formation activity in perhaps the most distant molecular cloud in the extreme outer galaxy. We performed deep near infrared imaging with the Subaru 8.2 m telescope, and found two young embedded clusters at two CO peaks of Digel Cloud 1 at the kinematic distance of D = 16 kpc (Galactocentric radius RG = 22 kpc). We identified 18 and 45 cluster members in the two peaks, and the estimated stellar density are ~ 5 and ~ 3 pc^-2, respectively. The observed K-band luminosity function suggests that the age of the clusters is less than 1 Myr and also the distance to the clusters is consistent with the kinematic distance. On the sky, Cloud 1 is located very close to the H I peak of high-velocity cloud (HVC) Complex H, and there are some H I intermediate velocity structures between the Complex H and the Galactic disk, which could indicate an interaction between them. We suggest possibility that Complex H impacting on the Galactic disk has triggered star formation in Cloud 1 as well as the formation of Cloud 1 molecular cloud.

PRESENT-DAY GALACTIC EVOLUTION: LOW-METALLICITY, WARM, IONIZED GAS INFLOW ASSOCIATED WITH HIGH-VELOCITY CLOUD COMPLEX A

The high-velocity cloud (HVC) Complex A is a probe of the physical conditions in the Galactic halo. The kinematics, morphology, distance, and metallicity of Complex A indicate that it represents new material that is accreting onto the Galaxy. We present Wisconsin H-alpha Mapper (WHAM) kinematically resolved observations of Complex A over the velocity range of -250 to -50 km/s in the local standard of rest reference frame. These observations include the first full H-alpha intensity map of Complex A across (l, b) = (124, 18) to (171, 53) and deep targeted observations in H-alpha, [S II]6716, [N II]6584, and [O I]6300 towards regions with high H I column densities, background quasars, and stars. The H-alpha data imply that the masses of neutral and ionized material in the cloud are similar, both being greater than a million solar masses. We find that the Bland-Hawthorn & Maloney (1999, 2001) model for the intensity of the ionizing radiation near the Milky Way is consistent with the known distance of the high-latitude part of Complex A and an assumed cloud geometry that puts the lower-latitude parts of the cloud at a distance of 7 to 8 kpc. This compatibility implies a 5% ionizing photon escape fraction from the Galactic disk. We also provide the nitrogen and sulfur upper abundance solutions for a series of temperatures, metallicities, and cloud configurations for purely photoionized gas; these solutions are consistent with the sub-solar abundances found by previous studies, especially for temperatures above 10,000 K or for gas with a high fraction of singly-ionized nitrogen and sulfur.

THE GALFA-H i COMPACT CLOUD CATALOG

ABSTRACT We present a catalog of 1964 isolated, compact neutral hydrogen clouds from the Galactic Arecibo L-Band Feed Array Survey Data Release One. The clouds were identified by a custom machine-vision algorithm utilizing the difference of Gaussian kernels to search for clouds smaller than 20′. The clouds have velocities typically between |V LSR| =20 and 400 km s−1, line widths of 2.5–35 km s−1, and column densities ranging from 1 to 35 × 1018 cm−2. The distances to the clouds in this catalog may cover several orders of magnitude, so the masses may range from less than a solar mass for clouds within the Galactic disk, to greater than 104 M ☉ for high-velocity clouds (HVCs) at the tip of the Magellanic Stream. To search for trends, we separate the catalog into five populations based on position, velocity, and line width: HVCs; galaxy candidates; cold low-velocity clouds (LVCs); warm, low positive-velocity clouds in the third Galactic quadrant; and the remaining warm LVCs. The observed HVCs are found to be associated with previously identified HVC complexes. We do not observe a large population of isolated clouds at high velocities as some models predict. We see evidence for distinct histories at low velocities in detecting populations of clouds corotating with the Galactic disk and a set of clouds that is not corotating.

High-velocity clouds as streams of ionized and neutral gas in the halo of the Milky Way

High-velocity clouds (HVC), fast-moving ionized and neutral gas clouds found at high galactic latitudes, may play an important role in the evolution of the Milky Way. The extent of this role depends sensitively on their distances and total sky covering factor. We search for HVC absorption in HST high resolution ultraviolet spectra of a carefully selected sample of 133 AGN using a range of atomic species in different ionization stages. This allows us to identify neutral, weakly ionized, or highly ionized HVCs over several decades in HI column densities. The sky covering factor of UV-selected HVCs with |v_LSR|>90 km/s is 68%+/-4% for the entire Galactic sky. We show that our survey is essentially complete, i.e., an undetected population of HVCs with extremely low N(H) (HI+HII) is unlikely to be important for the HVC mass budget. We confirm that the predominantly ionized HVCs contain at least as much mass as the traditional HI HVCs and show that large HI HVC complexes have generally ionized envelopes extending far from the HI contours. There are also large regions of the Galactic sky that are covered with ionized high-velocity gas with little HI emission nearby. We show that the covering factors of HVCs with 90<|v_LSR|<170 km/s drawn from the AGN and stellar samples are similar. This confirms that these HVCs are within 5-15 kpc of the sun. The covering factor of these HVCs drops with decreasing vertical height, which is consistent with HVCs being decelerated or disrupted as they fall to the Milky Way disk. The HVCs with |v_LSR|>170 km/s are largely associated with the Magellanic Stream at b<0 and its leading arm at b>0 as well as other large known HI complexes. Therefore there is no evidence in the Local Group that any galaxy shows a population of HVCs extending much farther away than 50 kpc from its host, except possibly for those tracing remnants of galaxy interaction.

THE 21 cm “OUTER ARM” AND THE OUTER-GALAXY HIGH-VELOCITY CLOUDS: CONNECTED BY KINEMATICS, METALLICITY, AND DISTANCE

Using high-resolution ultraviolet spectra obtained with the HST/Space Telescope Imaging Spectrograph (STIS) and the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer, we study the metallicity, kinematics, and distance of the gaseous "Outer Arm" (OA) and the high-velocity clouds (HVCs) in the outer Galaxy. We detect the OA in a variety of absorption lines toward two QSOs, H1821+643 and HS0624+6907. We search for OA absorption toward eight Galactic stars and detect it in one case, which constrains the OA Galactocentric radius to 9<R_{G}<18 kpc. We also detect HVC Complex G, which is projected near the OA at a similar velocity, in absorption toward two stars; Complex G is therefore in the same region at R_{G} = 8 - 10 kpc. HVC Complex C is known to be at a similar Galactocentric radius. Toward H1821+643, the low-ionization absorption lines are composed of multiple narrow components, indicating the presence of several cold clouds and rapid cooling and fragmentation. Some of the highly ionized gas is also surprisingly cool. Accounting for ionization corrections, we find that the OA metallicity is Z=0.2-0.5 Z_{solar}, but nitrogen is underabundant and some species are possibly mildly depleted by dust. The similarity of the OA metallicity, Galactocentric location, and kinematics to those of the adjacent outer-Galaxy HVCs, including high velocities that are not consistent with Galactic rotation, suggests that the OA and outer-Galaxy HVCs could have a common origin.