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The structure of the Milky Way based on unWISE 3.4$\mu$m integrated photometry
- Source :
- MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
- Publication Year :
- 2021
-
Abstract
- We present a detailed analysis of the Galaxy structure using an unWISE wide-field image at $3.4\mu$m. We perform a 3D photometric decomposition of the Milky Way taking into account i) the projection of the Galaxy on the celestial sphere and ii) that the observer is located within the Galaxy at the solar radius. We consider a large set of photometric models starting with a pure disc model and ending with a complex model which consists of thin and thick discs plus a boxy-peanut-shaped bulge. In our final model, we incorporate many observed features of the Milky Way, such as the disc flaring and warping, several over-densities in the plane, and the dust extinction. The model of the bulge with the corresponding X-shape structure is obtained from N-body simulations of a Milky Way-like galaxy. This allows us to retrieve the parameters of the aforementioned stellar components, estimate their contribution to the total Galaxy luminosity, and constrain the position angle of the bar. The mass of the thick disc in our models is estimated to be 0.4-1.3 of that for the thin disc. The results of our decomposition can be directly compared to those obtained for external galaxies via multicomponent photometric decomposition.<br />Comment: 19 pages, 10 figures, Accepted for publication in MNRAS
- Subjects :
- THICK DISKS
Milky Way
INFRARED-EMISSION
Extinction (astronomy)
bulge [Galaxy]
Astrophysics
Astrophysics::Cosmology and Extragalactic Astrophysics
SURFACE PHOTOMETRY
Luminosity
Photometry (optics)
DARK-MATTER UNIVERSE
Bulge
Galaxy formation and evolution
GALACTIC DISC
Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics
Physics
X-SHAPED STRUCTURES
fundamental parameters [Galaxy]
Astronomy and Astrophysics
INSIDE-OUT FORMATION
Position angle
Astrophysics - Astrophysics of Galaxies
Galaxy
ON SPIRAL GALAXIES
RED CLUMP
disc [Galaxy]
Physics and Astronomy
formation [Galaxy]
Space and Planetary Science
DIGITAL SKY SURVEY
Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics
structure [Galaxy]
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00358711 and 13652966
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- MONTHLY NOTICES OF THE ROYAL ASTRONOMICAL SOCIETY
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....4ddeaeae232265a9443805c1d5880560