Cresting the wave: Proper motions of the Eastern Banded Structure [GA]

http://arxiv.org/abs/1709.08633


We study the kinematic properties of the Eastern Banded Structure (EBS) and Hydra I overdensity using exquisite proper motions derived from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and Gaia source catalog. Main sequence turn-off stars in the vicinity of the EBS are identified from SDSS photometry; we use the proper motions and, where applicable, spectroscopic measurements of these stars to probe the kinematics of this apparent stream. We find that the EBS and Hydra I share common kinematic and chemical properties with the nearby Monoceros Ring. In particular, the proper motions of the EBS, like Monoceros, are indicative of prograde rotation (V_phi ~ 180-220 km/s), which is similar to the Galactic thick disc. The kinematic structure of stars in the vicinity of the EBS suggest that it is not a distinct stellar stream, but rather marks the “edge” of the Monoceros Ring. The EBS and Hydra I are the latest substructures to be linked with Monoceros, leaving the Galactic anti-centre a mess of interlinked overdensities which likely share a unified, Galactic disc origin.

Read this paper on arXiv…

A. Deason, V. Belokurov and S. Koposov
Wed, 27 Sep 2017
9/81

Comments: 5 pages, 5 figures. MNRAS Letters accepted