The Hercules-Aquila cloud

V. Belokurov; N. W. Evans; E. F. Bell; M. J. Irwin; P. C. Hewett; S. Koposov; C. M. Rockosi; G. Gilmore; D. B. Zucker; M. Fellhauer; M. I. Wilkinson; D. M. Bramich; S. Vidrih; H. -W. Rix; T. C. Beers; D. P. Schneider; J. C. Barentine; H. Brewington; J. Brinkmann; M. Harvanek; J. Krzesinski; D. Long; K. Pan; S. A. Snedden; O. Malanushenko; V. Malanushenko

doi:10.1086/513144

The Hercules-Aquila cloud

V. Belokurov, N. W. Evans, E. F. Bell, M. J. Irwin, P. C. Hewett, S. Koposov, C. M. Rockosi, G. Gilmore, D. B. Zucker, M. Fellhauer, M. I. Wilkinson, D. M. Bramich, S. Vidrih, H. -W. Rix, T. C. Beers, D. P. Schneider, J. C. Barentine, H. Brewington, J. Brinkmann, M. HarvanekJ. Krzesinski, D. Long, K. Pan, S. A. Snedden, O. Malanushenko, V. Malanushenko

School of Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

We present evidence for a substantial overdensity of stars in the direction of the constellations of Hercules and Aquila. The cloud is centered at a Galactic longitude of l ≈ 40° and extends above and below the Galactic plane by at least 50°. Given its off-centeredness and height, it is unlikely that the Hercules-Aquila cloud is related to the bulge or thick disk. More likely, this is a new structural component of the Galaxy that passes through the disk. The cloud stretches ~80° in longitude. Its heliocentric distance lies between 10 and 20 kpc so that the extent of the cloud in projection is ~20 kpc by ~15 kpc. It has an absolute magnitude of Mv = -13, and its stellar population appears to be comparable to, but somewhat more metal-rich than, M92.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	L89-L92
Number of pages	4
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	657
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1086/513144
Publication status	Published - 12 Feb 2007

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

galaxies : kinematics and dynamics
galaxies : structure
Galaxy : halo
Local Group

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10.1086/513144

https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0701790

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Belokurov, V., Evans, N. W., Bell, E. F., Irwin, M. J., Hewett, P. C., Koposov, S., Rockosi, C. M., Gilmore, G., Zucker, D. B., Fellhauer, M., Wilkinson, M. I., Bramich, D. M., Vidrih, S., Rix, H. .-W., Beers, T. C., Schneider, D. P., Barentine, J. C., Brewington, H., Brinkmann, J., ... Malanushenko, V. (2007). The Hercules-Aquila cloud. Astrophysical Journal, 657(2), L89-L92. https://doi.org/10.1086/513144

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title = "The Hercules-Aquila cloud",

abstract = "We present evidence for a substantial overdensity of stars in the direction of the constellations of Hercules and Aquila. The cloud is centered at a Galactic longitude of l ≈ 40° and extends above and below the Galactic plane by at least 50°. Given its off-centeredness and height, it is unlikely that the Hercules-Aquila cloud is related to the bulge or thick disk. More likely, this is a new structural component of the Galaxy that passes through the disk. The cloud stretches \textasciitilde{}80° in longitude. Its heliocentric distance lies between 10 and 20 kpc so that the extent of the cloud in projection is \textasciitilde{}20 kpc by \textasciitilde{}15 kpc. It has an absolute magnitude of Mv = -13, and its stellar population appears to be comparable to, but somewhat more metal-rich than, M92.",

keywords = "galaxies : kinematics and dynamics, galaxies : structure, Galaxy : halo, Local Group",

author = "V. Belokurov and Evans, \{N. W.\} and Bell, \{E. F.\} and Irwin, \{M. J.\} and Hewett, \{P. C.\} and S. Koposov and Rockosi, \{C. M.\} and G. Gilmore and Zucker, \{D. B.\} and M. Fellhauer and Wilkinson, \{M. I.\} and Bramich, \{D. M.\} and S. Vidrih and Rix, \{H. -W.\} and Beers, \{T. C.\} and Schneider, \{D. P.\} and Barentine, \{J. C.\} and H. Brewington and J. Brinkmann and M. Harvanek and J. Krzesinski and D. Long and K. Pan and Snedden, \{S. A.\} and O. Malanushenko and V. Malanushenko",

year = "2007",

month = feb,

day = "12",

doi = "10.1086/513144",

language = "English",

volume = "657",

pages = "L89--L92",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "American Astronomical Society",

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Belokurov, V, Evans, NW, Bell, EF, Irwin, MJ, Hewett, PC, Koposov, S, Rockosi, CM, Gilmore, G, Zucker, DB, Fellhauer, M, Wilkinson, MI, Bramich, DM, Vidrih, S, Rix, H-W, Beers, TC, Schneider, DP, Barentine, JC, Brewington, H, Brinkmann, J, Harvanek, M, Krzesinski, J, Long, D, Pan, K, Snedden, SA, Malanushenko, O & Malanushenko, V 2007, 'The Hercules-Aquila cloud', Astrophysical Journal, vol. 657, no. 2, pp. L89-L92. https://doi.org/10.1086/513144

TY - JOUR

T1 - The Hercules-Aquila cloud

AU - Belokurov, V.

AU - Evans, N. W.

AU - Bell, E. F.

AU - Irwin, M. J.

AU - Hewett, P. C.

AU - Koposov, S.

AU - Rockosi, C. M.

AU - Gilmore, G.

AU - Zucker, D. B.

AU - Fellhauer, M.

AU - Wilkinson, M. I.

AU - Bramich, D. M.

AU - Vidrih, S.

AU - Rix, H. -W.

AU - Beers, T. C.

AU - Schneider, D. P.

AU - Barentine, J. C.

AU - Brewington, H.

AU - Brinkmann, J.

AU - Harvanek, M.

AU - Krzesinski, J.

AU - Long, D.

AU - Pan, K.

AU - Snedden, S. A.

AU - Malanushenko, O.

AU - Malanushenko, V.

PY - 2007/2/12

Y1 - 2007/2/12

N2 - We present evidence for a substantial overdensity of stars in the direction of the constellations of Hercules and Aquila. The cloud is centered at a Galactic longitude of l ≈ 40° and extends above and below the Galactic plane by at least 50°. Given its off-centeredness and height, it is unlikely that the Hercules-Aquila cloud is related to the bulge or thick disk. More likely, this is a new structural component of the Galaxy that passes through the disk. The cloud stretches ~80° in longitude. Its heliocentric distance lies between 10 and 20 kpc so that the extent of the cloud in projection is ~20 kpc by ~15 kpc. It has an absolute magnitude of Mv = -13, and its stellar population appears to be comparable to, but somewhat more metal-rich than, M92.

AB - We present evidence for a substantial overdensity of stars in the direction of the constellations of Hercules and Aquila. The cloud is centered at a Galactic longitude of l ≈ 40° and extends above and below the Galactic plane by at least 50°. Given its off-centeredness and height, it is unlikely that the Hercules-Aquila cloud is related to the bulge or thick disk. More likely, this is a new structural component of the Galaxy that passes through the disk. The cloud stretches ~80° in longitude. Its heliocentric distance lies between 10 and 20 kpc so that the extent of the cloud in projection is ~20 kpc by ~15 kpc. It has an absolute magnitude of Mv = -13, and its stellar population appears to be comparable to, but somewhat more metal-rich than, M92.

KW - galaxies : kinematics and dynamics

KW - galaxies : structure

KW - Galaxy : halo

KW - Local Group

U2 - 10.1086/513144

DO - 10.1086/513144

M3 - Article

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 657

SP - L89-L92

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2

ER -

The Hercules-Aquila cloud

Abstract

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

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