An Upper Limit to the Age of the Galactic Bar
- 20 July 2002
- journal article
- research article
- Published by American Astronomical Society in The Astrophysical Journal
- Vol. 574 (1) , L43-L46
- https://doi.org/10.1086/342278
Abstract
Using data from the Two Micron All Sky Survey, we identify a population of infrared carbon stars with J-KS ≥ 2 in the Milky Way. These stars are shown to trace the stellar bar previously identified in IR and optical surveys. The properties of C stars strongly suggest that they are of intermediate age. We conclude that the bar is likely to have formed more recently than 3 Gyr ago and must be younger than 6 Gyr. Implications and further tests of this conclusion are briefly discussed.Keywords
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