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Kinematics of Nearby Gas and Stars
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 April 2016
Abstract
The kinematic properties of gas and stars in the Solar neighborhood are described in terms of the line-of-sight component of a three-dimensional first order Taylor series expansion of the local velocity field. The types of object analysed are (1) 21 cm absorbing clouds (2) intercloud medium (3) main sequence B stars closer than 200 pc (4) B stars of luminosity class ranging from I to IV (5) main sequence A stars (6) K-giant stars. The least squares fitting procedure used to derive the 10 coefficients describing each of the six velocity fields was essentially the same, so that a valid comparison could be made. Marked departures from circular motion are found in most cases, but the only systematic trend is a correlation between ∂u/∂x (u being the velocity component along the x-axis directed towards the Galactic center) and stellar spectral type, where the gas behaves like a medium ‘younger’ than the early type stars. Our analysis of the gas indicated that the standard plane-parallel model provided a good description for the intercloud medium, but was inadequate for the absorbing clouds. A velocity ellipsoid description of the residuals is presented for each type of object. The influence of the Gould belt on local kinematics is discussed.
- Type
- Theoretical Models
- Information
- International Astronomical Union Colloquium , Volume 81: Local Interstellar Medium , 1984 , pp. 319 - 325
- Copyright
- Copyright © NASA 1984
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