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Cited by 174Stellar, planetary, and galactic studiesGalaxies: Formation, Evolution, PhenomenaAstrophysical Phenomena and Observations

Fundamental Parameters of the Milky Way Galaxy Based on VLBI Astrometry

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Honma, Mareki, Nagayama, Takumi, Ando, Kazuma, Bushimata, Takeshi, Choi, Yoon Kyung, Handa, Toshihiro, Hirota, Tomoya, Imai, Hiroshi +26 more·2012·Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan
DOI 10.1093/pasj/64.6.136
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Abstract

We present analyses to determine the fundamental parameters of the Galaxy based on VLBI astrometry of 52 Galactic maser sources obtained with VERA, VLBA, and EVN. We model the Galaxy's structure with a set of parameters, including the Galaxy center distance $ R_0$ , the angular rotation velocity at the LSR $ \Omega_0$ , the mean peculiar motion of the sources with respect to Galactic rotation ($ U_{\rm src}$ , $ V_{\rm src}$ , $ W_{\rm src}$ ), the rotation-curve shape index, and the $ V$ component of the Solar peculiar motions, $ V_\odot $ . Based on a Markov chain Monte-Carlo method, we find that the Galaxy center distance is constrained at a 5% level to be $ R_0$$ =$ 8.05 $ \pm$ 0.45 kpc, where the error bar includes both statistical and systematic errors. We also find that the two components of the source peculiar motion $ U_{\rm src}$ and $ W_{\rm src}$ are fairly small compared to the Galactic rotation velocity, being $ U_{\rm src}$$ =$ 1.0 $ \pm$ 1.5 km s$ ^{-1}$ and $ W_{\rm src}$$ =$$-$ 1.4 $ \pm$ 1.2 km s$ ^{-1}$ . Also, the rotation curve shape is found to be basically flat between Galacto-centric radii of 4 and 13 kpc. On the other hand, we find a linear relation between $ V_{\rm src}$ and $ V_\odot $ as $ V_{\rm src}$$ =$$ V_\odot $$-$ 19 ($ \pm$ 2) km s$ ^{-1}$ , suggesting that the value of $ V_{\rm src}$ is fully dependent on the adopted value of $ V_\odot $ . Regarding the rotation speed in the vicinity of the Sun, we also find a strong correlation between $ \Omega_0$ and $ V_\odot $ . We find that the angular velocity of the Sun, $ \Omega_{\odot}$ , which is defined as $ \Omega_\odot$$ \equiv$$ \Omega_0$$ +$$ V_\odot/R_0$ , can be well constrained with the best estimate of $ \Omega_\odot$$ =$ 31.09 $ \pm$ 0.78 km s$ ^{-1}$ kpc$ ^{-1}$ . This corresponds to $ \Theta_0$$ =$ 238 $ \pm$ 14 km s$ ^{-1}$ if one adopts the above value of $ R_0$ and recent determination of $ V_\odot $$ \sim$ 12 km s$ ^{-1}$.

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  • The BeSSeL (Reid et al., 2014) and VERA (Honma et al., 2012) surveys have used ∼100 masers to constrain R⊙ = 8.34 ± 0.16 kpc and vc(R0) = 240 ± 8 km s^-1.

    “The BeSSeL (Reid et al., 2014) and VERA (Honma et al., 2012) surveys have used ∼ 100 masers to constrain R ⊙ = 8 . 34 ± 0 . 16 kpc and vc ( R 0 ) = 240 ± 8 km s -1 .”

    From The rotation curve of the Milky Way: State of the art, the Keplerian decline debate, and implications for dark matter (2026) · cites this paper as Honma et al., 2012

    The Abstract (p. 1) supports the broad point that VERA maser astrometry was used to constrain Galactic parameters. But this paper analyzes 52 sources observed with VERA, VLBA and EVN and reports R₀ = 8.05 ± 0.45 kpc, not the cited ∼100 masers or R₀ = 8.34 ± 0.16 kpc. Section 5.2 (p. 9) says the rotation-speed estimate remains uncertain rather than giving 240 ± 8 km s⁻¹. (LLM, conf=0.88)

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Authors
Honma, M., Nagayama, T., Ando, K., Bushimata, T., Choi, Y. K., Handa, T., Hirota, T., Imai, H., Jike, T., Kim, M. K., Kameya, O., Kawaguchi, N., Kobayashi, H., Kurayama, T., Kuji, S., Matsumoto, N., Manabe, S., Miyaji, T., Motogi, K., Nakagawa, A., Nakanishi, H., Niinuma, K., Oh, C. S., Omodaka, T., Oyama, T., Sakai, N., Sato, K., Sato, M., Shibata, K. M., Shiozaki, S., Sunada, K., Tamura, Y., Ueno, Y., & Yamauchi, A.
Affiliations
  • National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (JP)
  • Kagoshima University (JP)
  • Max Planck Institute for Radio Astronomy (DE)
  • Hokkaido University (JP)
  • Yamaguchi University (JP)
  • Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KR)
ORCID
Venue
Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2012-12-25
Volume
64
Issue
6
ISSN
  • 0004-6264 (ISSN-L)
  • 2053-051X
DOI
10.1093/pasj/64.6.136
OpenAlex
W2122432913
Cited by
174
References
67
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 18 · 2019: 21 · 2018: 13 · 2017: 17 · 2016: 22 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 24 · 2013: 14
FWCI
9.98
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan (publishedVersion)
  • arXiv (Cornell University) (submittedVersion)
  • Institutional Repositories DataBase (IRDB) (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
Milky Way structure, galactocentric distance, galaxy rotation curves, galactic rotation velocity, VLBI astrometry, VERA, Very Long Baseline Array, EVN, Markov chain Monte Carlo, systematic errors, galactic longitude

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