Properties of the Galactic Bar from Hydrodynamical \\ Simulations
Session 50 -- The Milky Way
Display presentation, Thursday, June 15, 1995, 9:20am - 4:00pm

## [50.07] Properties of the Galactic Bar from Hydrodynamical \\ Simulations

\def\lv{l--V } \def\deg{\hbox{$^\circ$}} \def\kms{\hbox{km~s$^{-1}$}} \def\kmskpc{\hbox{km~s$^{-1}$~kpc$^{-1}$}} Benjamin J. Weiner and J.A. Sellwood (Rutgers University)

It is well known that the existence of H~I and CO gas at forbidden'' velocities in longitude-velocity (\lv) diagrams of the inner Galaxy (e.g. Liszt \& Burton 1980) is inconsistent with circular motion in an axisymmetric potential. Gas flow in a barred potential could be consistent with the observations, however. This kinematic data provides us with a probe of the mass distribution in the Galactic bulge which is unaffected by extinction. We have compared the observations to 2-D hydrodynamical simulations of gas flows in a family of barred potentials; the gas flow pattern is very sensitive to the assumed potential.

We present a model, with a bar with semimajor axis 3 kpc, axis ratio 4:1, and pattern speed 55 \kmskpc, which reproduces the extreme-velocity envelope of the H~I \lv\ diagram reasonably well, if the bar is viewed at 35\deg\ to its major axis. We argue that models with the bar more end--on than $\sim 25\deg$ cannot reproduce the emission in the forbidden quadrants of the H~I \lv\ diagram.