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NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Looking Local: Milky Way Science with JWST

The James Webb Space Telescope has only been operating for a short time, but has already revolutionized multiple areas of astrophysics, including our understanding of our home Galaxy. With a 6.6 meter primary mirror and four infrared science instruments, JWST’s science mission includes measurements of exoplanet atmospheres, observations of the chemistry of molecular clouds, tracing the lifecycle of dust in the interstellar medium (ISM), investigations of galaxy mergers and probing the first galaxies and the cosmological history of the universe. By investigating the Milky Way with JWST astronomers can not only better understand the physics, chemistry and dynamics of our own backyard, but these results can be used to more accurately inform the interpretation of observations of the distant universe. This presentation will detail JWST’s capabilities for conducting observations and surveys in the Milky Way, as well as highlight some early results from the observatory.

Erin C. Smith↗
NASA NTRS1987

Modeling the Milky Way in the infrared

The spatial distribution of stars in the Milky Way is modeled using an exponential disk with the addition of a de Vaucouleurs (1958, 1977, and 1979) R exp 1/4 spheroid. The present model is compared to 2-2.5-micron star counts and surface-brightness data and to IRAS 12-micron source counts. The data are consistent with a flattened bulge; it is maintained that a fraction of the bulge population has a considerable infrared excess.

Garwood, Robert↗
NASA NTRS2011

Diffuse X-Ray Emission in the Milky Way

Our understanding of the diffuse X-ray emission from the Milky Way has evolved. extensively with time from when it was first observed in the 1960's, and its origin is still the subject of debate as much now as ever. This presentation will provide an overview of that evolution, the various emission components, emission mechanisms, an assessment of the current state of the field, and implications for eROSITA.

Snowden, Steve↗
NASA NTRS2011

Constraining Dark Matter Models from a Combined Analysis of Milky Way Satellites with the Fermi Large Area Telescope

Satellite galaxies of the Milky Way are among the most promising targets for dark matter searches in gamma rays. We present a search for dark matter consisting of weakly interacting massive particles, applying a joint likelihood analysis to 10 satellite galaxies with 24 months of data of the Fermi Large Area Telescope. No dark matter signal is detected. Including the uncertainty in the dark matter distribution, robust upper limits are placed on dark matter annihilation cross sections. The 95% confidence level upper limits range from about 10(exp -26) cm(exp 3) / s at 5 GeV to about 5 X 10(exp -23) cm(exp 3)/ s at 1 TeV, depending on the dark matter annihilation final state. For the first time, using gamma rays, we are able to rule out models with the most generic cross section (approx 3 X 10(exp -26) cm(exp 3)/s for a purely s-wave cross section), without assuming additional boost factors.

Ackermann, M.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Documentation for the machine-readable version of the Luminous Stars in the Northern Milky Way

A machine-readable version of a catalogue, Luminuous Stars in the Northern Milky Way, which contains all stars of six source publications in a single file is described. Files containing lists in order of their publication and sorted by right ascension are included in the computerized catalogue. Additional details regarding the program, instrumentation, spectral classification and determinations of magnitudes and positions are given in the source publications. This document was designed to be distributed with any machine-readable version of the catalogue

Warren, W. H., Jr.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Young globular clusters in the Milky Way Galaxy

Ruprecht 106 and Pal 12 are two known globular clusters in the Milky Way that are unequivocally younger than other clusters of similar metallicity. The Galactic coordinates of Ruprecht 106 place it near to the Magellanic Stream in projection, suggesting a tidal capture from the Magellanic Clouds. It is demonstrated that a family of orbits for both clusters can be constructed that are consistent with this capture hypothesis and that these then lead to a prediction of 3 milliarcseconds per year for the proper motions of both Ruprecht 106 and Pal 12.

Lin, D. N. C.↗
NASA NTRS1993

Leo I - The youngest Milky Way dwarf spheroidal galaxy?

Deep CCD photometry of about 16,000 stars in the Milky Way's Leo I spheroidal galaxy satellite is reported. An account is given of the features observed in the color-magnitude diagrams (CMDs) derived therefrom. A very blue and well-defined red giant branch (RGB) is noted. The CMDs of Leo I shows about 50 anomalous Cepheid candidates; there are another 50 or so asymptotic giant branch stars above the tip of the RGB, including 15 known carbon stars. The mean color of the RGB is estimated at M sub I = -3.5 mag.

Lee, Myung G.↗
NASA NTRS2023

Imaging the Milky Way with Millihertz Gravitational Waves

Modern astronomers enjoy access to all-sky images across a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum from long-wavelength radio to high-energy gamma rays. The most prominent feature in many of these images is our own Galaxy, with different features revealed in each wave band. Gravitational waves (GWs) have recently been added to the astronomers’ toolkit as a nonelectromagnetic messenger. To date, all identified GW sources have been extra-Galactic and transient. However, the Milky Way hosts a population of ultracompact binaries (UCBs), which radiate persistent GWs in the milliHertz band that is not observable with today’s terrestrial gravitational-wave detectors. Space-based detectors such as the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna will measure this population and provide a census of their location, masses, and orbital properties. In this work, we will show how this data can be used to form a false-color image of the Galaxy that represents the intensity and frequency of the gravitational waves produced by the UCB population. Such images can be used to study the morphology of the Galaxy, identify interesting multimessenger sources through cross-matching, and for educational and outreach purposes.

Gravitational Waves↗
NASA NTRS1991

Galactic structure from the Spacelab infrared telescope. II - Luminosity models of the Milky Way

A 2.4-micron map of the northern Galactic plan is used to determine the 3D luminosity distribution of the Milky Way. The radial surface brightness profile of the disk is found to have an exponential scale length of 3.0 kpc. In the solar neighborhood, the scale height is about 247 pc, which is in agreement with star counts perpendicular to the Galactic plane. The scale height is not constant with the radius but decreases to about 165 pc. To the first order, the bulge can be represented by an oblate spheroid with an axis ratio of 0.61. The 2.2-micron/12-micron flux ratio for the bulge is typical of other dust-free spheroidal systems. Luminosity fluctuations along the Galactic plane are found to be caused chiefly by variations in the line-of-sight extinction.

Kent, S. M.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Walls and windows in the molecular Milky Way

Estimates are presented of the distances to the nearest CO-emitting material along 31,500 lines of sight in the northern Milky Way on the basis of an analysis of the Massachusetts-Stony Brook survey of CO emission in the first Galactic quadrant. For Galactic latitudes between -1.0 and +1.0 deg and longitudes between 8 and 53 deg, significant CO emission (greater than 1.2 K) and associated optical obscuration (greater than 1.2 mag) is found within 2 kpc of the sun in 21,149 of the lines of sight. Much of this local emission is associated with the Aquila Rift system of dark clouds. Another 8,179 lines of sight are obscured at distances between 2 and 10 kpc. The remaining 2,172 lines of sight are completely free of significant CO emission. These cloud-free positions can be used as 'offs' for radio or IR spectroscopy of molecular sources in the Galactic plane, as 'ons' for studies of the diffuse intercloud medium itself, and as possible 'windows', through which distant disk and bulge stars might be optically observable.

Waller, William H.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Where massive stars form - Associated radio H II regions and CO clouds in the northern Milky Way

The sites of massive star formation in molecular clouds are investigated by comparing high-resolution radio surveys of molecular and ionized gas emission in the Milky Way. CO emission maps from the Massachusetts-Stony Brook survey of the first Galactic quadrant are used to locate, in l, b, and v, the molecular clouds associated with radio recombination-line H II regions. It is found that the radio H II regions are typically associated with giant molecular clouds (GMCs) with diameters of 20-60 pc and virial masses of 100,000 to a million solar masses. The radio H II regions appear preferentially concentrated toward the centers of the GMCs, contrary to the 'blister' picture of massive star formation on cloud surfaces.

Waller, W. H.↗
NASA NTRS1998

Giant Molecular Clouds and High-Mass Star Formation in the Milky Way

We are conducting an extensive investigation of high-mass (OB) star formation within the dense cores of giant molecular clouds (GMCS) throughout the first Galactic quadrant of the Milky Way using enhanced resolution Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) images in combination with high-resolution ground-based observations in millimeter wave molecular transitions and radio continuum. As part of this investigation several resolution enhancement algorithms are applied to the IRAS data, including the HIgh RESolution (HIRES) algorithm developed at the IRAS Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC), as well as others ("pixon" image reconstruction). In addition, as part of a related study, we have completed a large survey of the CO emission in the first Galactic quadrant using the 15-element array detector (QUARRY) with the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory (FCRAO) 14 m antenna, which provides sampling at an angular resolution of 50", comparable to that attained in the reprocessed IRAS data. Both of these data sets are compared with a sample of ultra-compact (UC) H II regions taken from a high-resolution multi-wavelength (6 and 20 cm) radio survey of the Galactic plane using the NRAO Very Large Array (VLA). Selected regions are observed in 1.3 mm continuum, which has proven to be particularly sensitive to the dust column density. Extensive observations of molecular clouds at high resolution in CO, CS and HCN are combined with the reprocessed IRAS high-resolution images to give a more complete picture of the physical conditions and kinematics of high-mass star forming GMCS. Our goals are to study in detail the morphology, structure, and rate of high-mass star formation within GMCs throughout the Galactic disk from the inner edge of the molecular ring to the outer Galaxy.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1995

Fine-scale structure in the far-infrared Milky-Way

This final report summarizes the work performed and which falls into five broad categories: (1) generation of a new data product (mosaics of the far-infrared emission in the Milky Way); (2) acquisition of associated data products at other wavelengths; (3) spatial filtering of the far-infrared mosaics and resulting images of the FIR fine-scale structure; (4) evaluation of the spatially filtered data; (5) characterization of the FIR fine-scale structure in terms of its spatial statistics; and (6) identification of interstellar counterparts to the FIR fine-scale structure.

Waller, William H.↗
NASA NTRS1986

Milky Way halo gas kinematics

Measurements of high resolution, short wavelength absorption data taken by IUE toward high latitude O and B stars are presented in a discussion of the large scale kinematic properties of Milky Way Halo gas. An analysis of these data demonstrates that: (1) the obsrved absorption widths (FWHM) of Si II are very large, ranging up to 150 Km/s for the most distant halo star; this is much larger than is generally appreciated from optical data; (2) the absorption is observed to be systematically negative in radial velocity, indicating that cool material is, on the whole, flowing toward the disk of the galaxy; (3) there is some evidence for asymmetry between the northern and southern galactic hemispheres, in accordance with the HI 21 cm data toward the galactic poles; (4) low column density gas with highly negative radial LSR velocity (V less than -70 km/s) can be found toward stars beyond 1-3 kpc in the northern galactic hemisphere in all four quadrants of galactic longitude; and (5) only the profiles toward stars in the direction of known high velocity HI features show a clear two component structure.

Danly, L.↗
NASA NTRS1989

The kinematics of Milky Way halo gas. I - Observations of low-ionization species

Ultraviolet interstellar line day observed with the IUE toward 70 halo stars and four extragalactic sight lines are analyzed in a study of the large-scale kinematic properties of the Milky Way halo gas. The motions of the low-ionization gas is focused on. Large systematic velocities are found, and a pronounced asymmetry in the absorption characteristics of halo gas toward the Galactic poles is indicated. In the north, substantial amounts of material are falling toward the disk at velocities up to about 120 km/s in the most extreme case. Toward the south, low-ionization material shows no extreme or systematic motions.

Danly, Laura↗
NASA NTRS2004

International Conference: Milky Way Surveys: The Structure and Evolution of Our Galaxy

We were granted NASA support for partial sponsorship of an international conference on Galactic science, held June 15-17, 2003 and hosted by the Institute for Astrophysical Research at Boston University. This conference, entitled 'Milky Way Surveys: The Structure and Evolution of Our Galaxy' drew some 125 scientific experts, researchers, and graduate students to Boston to: (1) Present large area survey plans and findings; (2) Discuss important remaining questions and puzzles in Galactic science; and (3) To inform and excite students and researchers about the potential for using large area survey databases to address key Galactic science questions. An international Scientific Organizing Committee for this conference crafted a tightly packed two-day conference designed to highlight many recent and upcoming large area surveys (including 2MASS, SDSS, MSX, VLA-HI, GRS, and SIRTF/GLIMPSE) and current theoretical understandings and questions. By bringing together experts in the conduct of Galactic surveys and leading theorists, new ways of attacking long-standing scientific questions were encouraged. The titles of most of the talks and posters presented are attached to the end of this report.

Clemens, Dan↗