No CrossRef data available.
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 05 March 2015
We use Schwarzschild's orbit-superposition technique to construct self-consistent models of the Galactic bar. Using χ2 minimisation, we find that the best-fit Galactic bar model has a pattern speed Ωp=60 km s−1 kpc−1, disk mass Md=1.0×1011M⊙ and bar angle θbar=20° for an adopted bar mass Mbar=2×1010M⊙. The model can reproduce not only the three-dimensional and projected density distributions but also velocity and velocity dispersion data from the BRAVA survey. We also predict the proper motions in the range l=[−12°,12°], b=[−10°,10°], which appear to be higher than observations in the longitudinal direction. The model is stable within a timescale of 0.5 Gyr, but appears to deviate from steady-state on longer timescales. Our model can be further tested by future observations such as those from GAIA.