J/A+A/661/A147 Galactic interstellar dust Gaia-2MASS 3D maps (Lallement+, 2022)
Updated Gaia-2MASS 3D maps of Galactic interstellar dust.
Lallement R., Vergely J.L., Babusiaux C., Cox N.L.J.
<Astron. Astrophys. 661, A147 (2022)>
=2022A&A...661A.147L 2022A&A...661A.147L (SIMBAD/NED BibCode)
ADC_Keywords: Milky Way ; Extinction
Keywords: dust, extinction - solar neighborhood - Galaxy: structure -
ISM: structure
Abstract:
Three-dimensional (3D) maps of Galactic interstellar dust are a tool
for a wide range of uses. We aim to construct 3D maps of dust
extinction in the Local Arm and surrounding regions. To do this, Gaia
EDR3 photometric data were combined with 2MASS measurements to derive
extinction towards stars with accurate photometry and relative
uncertainties on EDR3 parallaxes of less than 20%. We applied our
hierarchical inversion algorithm adapted to inhomogeneous spatial
distributions of target stars to this catalogue of individual
extinctions.We present the updated 3D dust extinction distribution and
provide an estimate of the error on integrated extinctions from the
Sun to each area in the 3D map. The full computational area is similar
to the one of the previous DR2 map, that is to say with a
6x6x0.8kpc3 volume around the Sun. Due to the addition of fainter
target stars, the volume in which the clouds can be reconstructed has
increased. Due to the improved accuracy of the parallaxes and
photometric data in EDR3, extinctions among neighbouring targets are
more consistent, allowing one to reach an increased contrast in the
dense areas, while cavity contours are more regular. We show several
comparisons with recent results on dust and star distributions. The
wavy pattern around the Plane of the dust concentrations is better
seen and exists over large regions. Its mean vertical peak-to-peak
amplitude is of the order of 300pc; interestingly, it is similar to
the vertical period of the spectacular snail-shaped stellar
kinematical pattern discovered in Gaia data. The Gaia EDR3 catalogue
allows for a significant improvement of the extinction maps to be
made, both in extent and quality. The hierarchical technique confirms
its efficiency in the inversion of massive datasets. Future
comparisons between 3D maps of interstellar matter and stellar
distributions may help to understand which mergers or internal
perturbations have shaped the Galaxy within the first 3kpc.
Description:
3D distribution of extinction density at 550nm in a 6kpc by 6 kpc by
0.8kpc volume around the Sun. The map is in Cartesian coordinates
with the Sun at centre X,Y,Z=0,0,0. The X axis is directed to the
Galactic Centre, the Y axis is along the direction of rotation, and
the Z axis points to the Northern Galactic Pole. Distances X, Y, Z
units are parsecs. The extinction density is in nanomagnitude per
parsec.
Caution: read the article for assumptions during the inversion
(especially the resolution) and errors at large distances or beyond
very dense structures.
File Summary:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FileName Lrecl Records Explanations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ReadMe 80 . This file
list.dat 115 1 Informations on fits table
cube_ext.fits 2880 40637 3D distribution of extinction density map
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
See also:
II/246 : 2MASS All-Sky Catalog of Point Sources (Cutri+ 2003)
I/345 : Gaia DR2 (Gaia Collaboration, 2018)
Byte-by-byte Description of file: list.dat
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Bytes Format Units Label Explanations
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1- 13 A13 --- FileName Name of the fits file
15- 17 I3 Mbyte Size [117] size of the fits file
19-115 A97 --- Title Title of the file (1)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Note (1):
First column: X coordinate (pc)
Second column: Y coordinate (pc)
Third column: Z coordinate (pc)
Fourth column: Extinction density nanomag per pc at (X,Y,Z) (nmag/pc)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Acknowledgements:
Rosine Lallement, Rosine.Lallement(at)obspm.fr
(End) Patricia Vannier [CDS] 15-Mar-2022