Published November 10, 2009
| Version v1
Journal article
A TRIGONOMETRIC PARALLAX OF Sgr B2
- 1. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, 60 Garden Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 (United States)
- 2. Max-Planck-Institut fuer Radioastronomie, Auf dem Huegel 69, 53121 Bonn (Germany)
- 3. Department of Astronomy, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China)
- 4. Purple Mountain Observatory, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing 210008 (China)
Description
We have measured the positions of H2O masers in Sgr B2, a massive star-forming region in the Galactic center, relative to an extragalactic radio source with the Very Long Baseline Array. The positions measured at 12 epochs over a time span of one year yield the trigonometric parallax of Sgr B2 and hence a distance to the Galactic center of R 0 = 7.9+0.8-0.7 kpc. The proper motion of Sgr B2 relative to Sgr A* suggests that Sgr B2 is ∼0.13 kpc nearer than the Galactic center, assuming a low-eccentricity Galactic orbit.
Availability note (English)
Available from http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/705/2/1548Additional details
Identifiers
Publishing Information
- Journal Title
- Astrophysical Journal
- Journal Volume
- 705
- Journal Issue
- 2
- Journal Page Range
- p. 1548-1553
- ISSN
- 0004-637X
- CODEN
- ASJOAB
INIS
- Country of Publication
- United States
- Country of Input or Organization
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
- INIS RN
- 41108713
- Subject category
- S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY;
- Descriptors DEI
- DISTANCE; GALAXIES; MASERS; ORBITS; PROPER MOTION; STARS; WATER
- Descriptors DEC
- AMPLIFIERS; ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT; EQUIPMENT; HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS; MICROWAVE AMPLIFIERS; MICROWAVE EQUIPMENT; MOTION; OXYGEN COMPOUNDS