Comparing bulge RR Lyrae stars with bulge giants

Insight from 3D kinematics^⋆

¹ Instituto de Astrofísica, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, 782-0436 Macul, Santiago, Chile
e-mail: jrolivares@uc.cl
² Millennium Institute of Astrophysics, Av. Vicuña Mackenna 4860, 82-0436 Macul, Santiago, Chile
³ Departamento de Física, Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Av. Victor Jara 3659, Santiago, Chile
⁴ Núcleo Milenio ERIS, Santiago, Chile
⁵ Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Astrophysics and Space Exploration (CIRAS), Universidad de Santiago de Chile, Santiago, Chile
⁶ European Southern Observatory, Karl Schwarzschild-Strabe 2, 85748 Garching bei Munchen, Germany
⁷ Excellence Cluster ORIGINS, Boltzmann-Strasse 2, 85748 Garching bei Munchen, Germany

Received: 5 February 2024
Accepted: 23 April 2024

Abstract

Context. The structure and kinematics of the old component of the Galactic bulge are still a matter of debate. It is clear that the bulk of the bulge as traced by red clump stars includes two main components, which are usually identified as the metal-rich and metal-poor components. They have different shapes, kinematics, mean metallicities, and alpha-element abundances. It is our current understanding that they are associated with a bar and a spheroid, respectively. On the other hand, RR Lyrae variables trace the oldest population of the bulge. While it would be natural to think that they follow the structure and kinematics of the metal-poor component, the data analysed in the literature show conflicting results.

Aims. We aim to derive a rotation curve for bulge RR Lyrae stars in order to determine that the old component traced by these stars is distinct from the two main components observed in the Galactic bulge.

Methods. This paper combines APOGEE-2S spectra with OGLE-IV light curves, near-infrared photometry, and proper motions from the VISTA Variables in the Vía Láctea survey for 4193 RR Lyrae stars. Six-dimensional phase-space coordinates were used to calculate orbits within an updated Galactic potential and to isolate the stars.

Results. The stars that stay confined within the bulge represent 57% of our sample. Our results show that bulge RR Lyrae variables rotate more slowly than metal-rich red clump stars and have a lower velocity dispersion. Their kinematics is compatible with them being the low-metallicity tail of the metal-poor component. We confirm that a rather large fraction of halo and thick disc RR Lyrae stars pass by the bulge within their orbits, increasing the velocity dispersion. A proper orbital analysis is therefore critical to isolate bona fide bulge variables. Finally, bulge RR Lyrae seem to trace a spheroidal component, although the current data do now allow us to reach a firm conclusion about the spatial distribution.