The Spiral Geometry of the Milky Way: A Re-Examination

Details The Spiral Geometry of the Milky Way: A Re-Examination The Spiral Geometry of the Milky Way: A Re-Examination

Dec 2009

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009aas...21460303s&link_type=abstract

American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #214, #603.03

Astronomy and Astrophysics

Astronomy

Scientific paper

We examine models for the spiral structure of the Milky Way proposed over the past four decades in the context of recent models based upon COBE and Spitzer data. Many approaches have been pursued to decipher the geometry of the Galaxy's spiral arms, often with conflicting results. While a general consensus exists that a global pattern exists between 3 and 10 kpc, considerable disagreement remains in the details. Arm geometries, orientations, and even the number of arms are still debated. Close examination of models in the literature reveals a clear division between four and two-arm spirals. Four-arm models follow naturally from observations of classical tracers of spiral arms, enhanced gas densities and associated star formation, while two-arm models primarily flow from observations linked to the distribution of cool evolved stars. We examine this dichotomy between two-arm and four-arm models and discuss its implications.

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