The Velocity Field of Young Stars in the Solar Neighbourhood

Abstract

A sample of O- and B-type stars with Hipparcos astrometric data, ages computed from Strömgren photometry and radial velocities, has been used to characterize the structure, age and kinematics of the Gould Belt system. The local spiral structure of our galaxy is determined from this sample, and also from a sample of Hipparcos Cepheid stars. The Gould Belt, with an orientation with respect to the galactic plane ofi _G = 16-22^° and Ω_G =275-295^°, extends up to a distance of 600 pc from the Sun. Roughly the 60-65% of the O and B stars younger than 60 Myr in the solar neighbourhood belong to this structure. Our results indicate that the kinematical behaviour of this system is complex, with an expansion motion in the solar neighbourhood (R<300 pc).In the frame of the Lin's theory, and analysing the O and B stars further than 600 pc and the Cepheids, we found a galactic spiral structure characterized by a 4-arm spiral pattern with the Sun located atψ_⊙ = 350-355 ± 30^° – near the Sagittarius-Carina arm– and outside the corotation circle. The angular rotation speed of the spiral pattern was found to be Ω_p = 31-32 ± 4 kms^-1 kpc^-1.