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. Harvanek

J. 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

@article{92a168c4193e4a75b595577a1271c6f4,

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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