Resolution of the Distance Ambiguity for Galactic HII Regions

Abstract

We resolve the kinematic distance ambiguity for 266 inner Galaxy HII regions out of a sample of 291 using existing HI and 13CO sky surveys. Our sample contains all HII regions with measured radio recombination line (RRL) emission over the extent of the 13CO Boston University-Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory Galactic Ring Survey (18 deg, < l < 55 deg. and |b| < 1) and contains ultra compact, compact, and diffuse HII regions. We use two methods for resolving the distance ambiguity for each HII region: HI emission/absorption (HIEA) and HI self-absorption (HISA). We find that the HIEA and HISA methods can resolve the distance ambiguity for 72% and 87% of our sample, respectively. When projected onto the Galactic plane, this large sample appears to reveal aspects of Galactic structure, with spiral arm-like features at Galactocentric radii of 4.5 and 6 kpc, and a lack of HII regions within 3.5 kpc of the Galactic center. Our HII regions are approximately in the ratio of 2 to 1 for far verses near distances. The ratio of far to near distances for ultra-compact HII regions is 2.2 to 1. Compact HII regions are preferentially at the near distance; their ratio of far to near distances is 1.6 to 1. Diffuse HII regions are preferentially at the far distance; their ratio of far to near distances is 3.8 to 1. This implies that the distinction between ultra compact and compact HII regions is due largely to distance, and that the large angular size of diffuse HII regions is not due solely to proximity to the Sun.