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Mass of the Milky Way

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 May 2016

O. I. Wong
Affiliation:
School of Physics, University of Melbourne, VIC 3010, Australia
M. J. Drinkwater
Affiliation:
Physics Department, University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia; Sch. of Physics & Ast., Univ. of Nottingham, Nottingham NG72RD, UK
J. B. Jones
Affiliation:
Physics Department, University of Queensland, QLD 4072, Australia; Sch. of Physics & Ast., Univ. of Nottingham, Nottingham NG72RD, UK
M. D. Gregg
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Res. School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, MSO, ACT 2611, Australia
K. C. Freeman
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616, USA; Res. School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, MSO, ACT 2611, Australia

Abstract

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We present a new estimate of the mass of the Milky Way based on the escape velocity of a sample of distant stars, about 12 kpc from the Galactic centre and about 5 kpc from the plane of the Galaxy. Our sample is very different from previous escape-velocity studies, being compiled from an all-object spectroscopic survey of a region of sky. the derived mass within 12 kpc of the Galactic centre is (1.3 ±0.3) × 1011M.

Type
Part 6: The Galaxy
Copyright
Copyright © Astronomical Society of the Pacific 2004