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Distances and Metallicities of High- and Intermediate-Velocity Clouds
A table is presented that summarizes published absorption linemeasurements for the high- and intermediate-velocity clouds (HVCs andIVCs). New values are derived for N(H I) in the direction of observedprobes, in order to arrive at reliable abundances and abundance limits(the H I data are described in Paper II). Distances to stellar probesare revisited and calculated consistently, in order to derive distancebrackets or limits for many of the clouds, taking care to properlyinterpret nondetections. The main conclusions are the following. (1)Absolute abundances have been measured using lines of S II, N I, and OI, with the following resulting values: ~0.1 solar for one HVC (complexC), ~0.3 solar for the Magellanic Stream, ~0.5 solar for a southern IVC,and ~solar for two northern IVCs (the IV Arch and LLIV Arch). Finally,approximate values in the range 0.5-2 solar are found for three moreIVCs. (2) Depletion patterns in IVCs are like those in warm disk or halogas. (3) Most distance limits are based on strong UV lines of C II, SiII, and Mg II, a few on Ca II. Distance limits for major HVCs aregreater than 5 kpc, while distance brackets for several IVCs are in therange 0.5-2 kpc. (4) Mass limits for major IVCs are0.5-8×105 Msolar, but for major HVCs theyare more than 106 Msolar. (5) The Ca II/H I ratiovaries by up to a factor 2-5 within a single cloud, somewhat morebetween clouds. (6) The Na I/H I ratio varies by a factor of more than10 within a cloud, and even more between clouds. Thus, Ca II can beuseful for determining both lower and upper distance limits, but Na Ionly yields upper limits.
| On the distance to Chain A
High dispersion spectroscopic observations of nine A-type stars and oneF-type star in the Na I D and/or Ca II H and K lines are presented. Moststars lie toward the high-velocity complex Chain A. These spectra arecompared with 21-cm H I emission profiles of the same lines of sight. Nooptical high- or intermediate-velocity components are detected. A lowerlimit for the height of Chain A above the galactic plane of z about 200pc can be deduced. The detections of interstellar Ca II in the spectraof halo RR Lyrae stars in the literature are shown to be in doubt.
| The distance to the high-velocity clouds - Mass infall and galactic disk formation
The high-velocity neutral hydrogen complex C in optical (Ca K)absorption against stars at distances of 1-2 kpc has been detected,confirming a previous tentative detection and placing an upper limit onthe distance to this complex. A similar (though as yet more uncertain)limit is placed to the distance to complex A. No complex is detected inabsorption against any nearby star, effectively ruling out models inwhich the clouds are formed by supershells in the local disk. If thesedistances are representative of the bulk of the high-velocity clouds,the local mass infall rate is 6 x 10 to the -9th solar mass/sq pc/yr,which would supply the disk column density in 10 billion yr. The cloudslie above the bulk of the disk, and it is shown how they may be used tomeasure the pressure of the halo and to place an upper bound on themetagalactic UV flux.
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Observation and Astrometry data
| Constellation: | Ursa Major |
| Right ascension: | 09h00m04.73s |
| Declination: | +61°06'03.9" |
| Apparent magnitude: | 8.836 |
| Distance: | 223.214 parsecs |
| Proper motion RA: | -9.3 |
| Proper motion Dec: | -15.1 |
| B-T magnitude: | 9.071 |
| V-T magnitude: | 8.856 |
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