IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v477y2011i7363d10.1038_nature10359.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Three classical Cepheid variable stars in the nuclear bulge of the Milky Way

Author

Listed:
  • Noriyuki Matsunaga

    (Kiso Observatory, Institute of Astronomy, University of Tokyo, 10762-30 Mitake, Kiso-machi, Kiso-gun, Nagano 397-0101, Japan)

  • Takahiro Kawadu

    (Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan)

  • Shogo Nishiyama

    (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan)

  • Takahiro Nagayama

    (Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan)

  • Naoto Kobayashi

    (Kiso Observatory, Institute of Astronomy, University of Tokyo, 10762-30 Mitake, Kiso-machi, Kiso-gun, Nagano 397-0101, Japan
    Institute of Astronomy, University of Tokyo, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-0015, Japan)

  • Motohide Tamura

    (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan)

  • Giuseppe Bono

    (Universitá di Roma Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
    INAF—Osservatorio Astronomico di Roma, Via Frascati 33, 00040 Monte Porzio Catone, Italy)

  • Michael W. Feast

    (Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravity Centre, University of Cape Town, 7701 Rondebosch, South Africa
    South African Astronomical Observatory, PO Box 9, 7935 Observatory, South Africa)

  • Tetsuya Nagata

    (Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan)

Abstract

Galactic Centre cepheids Cepheid variable stars are used by astronomers as standard candles to establish interstellar distances, thanks to the strong link between their luminosity and pulsation periods. As classical Cepheids have pulsation periods that decrease with increasing age, they can also be used to probe star formation history based on the distribution of their periods. A near-infrared survey of the region around the Galactic Centre has now revealed three classical Cepheids in the nuclear bulge. Their properties suggest that there was a period of elevated star formation around 25 million years ago, a timescale that is comparable with that of the cyclic gas accumulation predicted for the central part of the Milky Way.

Suggested Citation

  • Noriyuki Matsunaga & Takahiro Kawadu & Shogo Nishiyama & Takahiro Nagayama & Naoto Kobayashi & Motohide Tamura & Giuseppe Bono & Michael W. Feast & Tetsuya Nagata, 2011. "Three classical Cepheid variable stars in the nuclear bulge of the Milky Way," Nature, Nature, vol. 477(7363), pages 188-190, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:477:y:2011:i:7363:d:10.1038_nature10359
    DOI: 10.1038/nature10359
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature10359
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/nature10359?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:477:y:2011:i:7363:d:10.1038_nature10359. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.