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02-01-2018
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Milky Way simulations at SKA Calendar for December 2017

Submitter: Luis Henry Quiroga Nunez
Description: Trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions of masers associated with massive young stars have been used to determine the parameters of the Milky Way. In particular, the Bar and Spiral Structure Legacy (BeSSeL) survey has reported the most accurate values of the Galactic parameters so far. The determination of these parameters with high accuracy has a widespread impact on Galactic and extragalactic measurements.

Simulations of 6.7 GHz methanol masers are aimed at establishing the confidence with which the Galactic parameters can be determined. This is relevant for the data published in the context of the BeSSeL survey collaboration, but also for future observations, in particular from the southern hemisphere, like the SKA.

The image for December in the SKA calendar 2017 shows a simulation of Galactic methanol maser distribution made in JIVE. The simulations were developed by Luis Henry Quiroga Nunez (Leiden/JIVE), Huib van Langevelde (JIVE/Leiden), Mark Reid (CfA) and James Green (CSIRO). The researchers have simulated the population of maser-bearing young stars associated with the Galactic spiral structure, generating several samples and comparing them with the observed samples used in the BeSSeL survey. Consequently, they have checked the determination of Galactic parameters for observational biases introduced by the sample selection. The results of this investigation has been published in A&A 604, 72 (2017) by Quiroga-Nunez et al.

Image: Top view of the Milky Way showing simulations of massive star forming regions in the Galaxy that will be observable with the SKA1-mid telescope (in orange) with Northern radio interferometers such as the VLBA (in blue).
Copyright: Background image adapted from an artistic impression of the Milky Way (R. Hur t: NASA/ JPL/Caltech, J. Green: CSIRO , J. Urquhar t: U. of Kent). Simulated Galactic methanol maser distribution made by L.H Quiroga-Nunez (Leiden/ JIVE), H. van Langevelde (JIVE/ Leiden) and M. Reid (CfA).
 
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