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  • Distances to Galactic High-...
    Wakker, B. P; York, D. G; Howk, J. C; Barentine, J. C; Wilhelm, R; Peletier, R. F; van Woerden, H; Beers, T. C; Ivezić, Ž; Richter, P; Schwarz, U. J

    The Astrophysical journal, 12/2007, Letnik: 670, Številka: 2
    Journal Article

    We report the first determination of a distance bracket for the high-velocity cloud (HVC) complex C. Combined with previous measurements showing that this cloud has a metallicity of 0.15 times solar, these results provide ample evidence that complex C traces the continuing accretion of intergalactic gas falling onto the Milky Way. Accounting for both neutral and ionized hydrogen as well as He, the distance bracket implies a mass of (3-14) x unk M unk, and the complex represents a mass inflow of 0.1-0.25 M unk yr-1. We base our distance bracket on the detection of Ca II absorption in the spectrum of the blue horizontal branch (BHB) star SDSS J120404.78+623345.6, in combination with a significant nondetection toward the BHB star BS 16034-0114. These results set a strong distance bracket of 3.7-11.2 kpc on the distance to complex C. A more weakly supported lower limit of 6.7 kpc may be derived from the spectrum of the BHB star BS 16079-0017.