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Cited by 523Stellar, planetary, and galactic studiesGalaxies: Formation, Evolution, PhenomenaAstrophysical Phenomena and Observations

A DIRECT DYNAMICAL MEASUREMENT OF THE MILKY WAY'S DISK SURFACE DENSITY PROFILE, DISK SCALE LENGTH, AND DARK MATTER PROFILE AT 4 kpc ≲ R ≲ 9 kpc

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Bovy, Jo, Rix, Hans-Walter·2013·The Astrophysical Journal
DOI 10.1088/0004-637x/779/2/115
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Abstract

We present and apply rigorous dynamical modeling with which we infer unprecedented constraints on the stellar and dark matter mass distribution within our Milky Way (MW), based on large sets of phase-space data on individual stars. Specifically, we model the dynamics of 16,269 G-type dwarfs from SEGUE, which sample 5 kpc < R GC < 12 kpc and 0.3 kpc ≲ | Z | ≲ 3 kpc. We independently fit a parameterized MW potential and a three-integral, action-based distribution function (DF) to the phase-space data of 43 separate abundance-selected sub-populations (MAPs), accounting for the complex selection effects affecting the data. We robustly measure the total surface density within 1.1 kpc of the mid-plane to 5% over 4.5 kpc < R GC < 9 kpc. Using metal-poor MAPs with small radial scale lengths as dynamical tracers probes 4.5 kpc ≲ R GC ≲ 7 kpc, while MAPs with longer radial scale lengths sample 7 kpc ≲ R GC ≲ 9 kpc. We measure the mass-weighted Galactic disk scale length to be R d = 2.15 ± 0.14 kpc, in agreement with the photometrically inferred spatial distribution of stellar mass. We thereby measure dynamically the mass of the Galactic stellar disk to unprecedented accuracy: M * = 4.6 ± 0.3 + 3.0 ( R 0 / kpc − 8) × 10 10 M ☉ and a total local surface density of of which 38 ± 4 M ☉ pc −2 is contributed by stars and stellar remnants. By combining our surface density measurements with the terminal velocity curve, we find that the MW's disk is maximal in the sense that V c , disk / V c , total = 0.83 ± 0.04 at R = 2.2 R d . We also constrain for the first time the radial profile of the dark halo at such small Galactocentric radii, finding that ρ DM ( r ; ≈ R 0 )∝1/ r α with α < 1.53 at 95% confidence. Our results show that action-based DF modeling of complex stellar data sets is now a feasible approach that will be fruitful for interpreting Gaia data.

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Crossref · 10.1088/0004-637x/779/2/115

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  • The stellar mass M⋆ ∼ 4×10^10 M⊙ is in good agreement with estimates for the MW.

    “This stellar mass is in good agreement with estimates for the MW (e.g. Bovy &amp; Rix 2013; McMillan 2017, and Section 5)”

    From The milky way total mass profile as inferred from Gaia DR2 (2020) · cites this paper as Bovy & Rix 2013

  • Currently, the stellar disc mass of the Galaxy is poorly constrained and thus cannot be used to distinguish between the two models, although most measurements agree better with the lower stellar mass of the contracted NFW halo model.

    “Currently, the stellar disc mass of our galaxy is poorly constrained (e.g. see the compilation of stellar profiles in Iocco et al. 2015) and thus cannot be used to distinguish between the two models, although most measurements agree better with the lower stellar mass of the contracted NFW halo model”

    From The milky way total mass profile as inferred from Gaia DR2 (2020) · cites this paper as Bovy & Rix 2013

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Authors
Bovy, J., & Rix, H.-W.
Affiliations
  • Institute for Advanced Study (US)
  • Max Planck Institute for Astronomy (DE)
Corresponding author
Bovy, Jo
ORCID
Bovy, Jo
Venue
The Astrophysical Journal
Publisher
American Astronomical Society
Published
2013-12-02
Volume
779
Issue
2
Pages
115
ISSN
  • 0004-637X (ISSN-L)
  • 1538-4357
DOI
10.1088/0004-637x/779/2/115
OpenAlex
W1995726747
Cited by
523
References
3
Citations by year
2026: 17 · 2025: 34 · 2024: 27 · 2023: 32 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 35 · 2020: 54 · 2019: 44 · 2018: 37 · 2017: 49 · 2016: 67 · 2015: 59 · 2014: 45 · 2013: 2
FWCI
31.13
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • The Astrophysical Journal (publishedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
  • Max Planck Institute for Plasma Physics (submittedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena
  • Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astrophysical Phenomena and Observations
Keywords
Galactic disk, disk scale length, dark matter halo profiles, stellar mass distribution, SEGUE, Galactic potential, stellar remnants

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