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arXiv · 2609.34219

Trigonometric Parallaxes of Maser Sources toward the Far Side of the Milky Way

Z. H. Lin·Y. Xu·M. Reid·J. J. Li·S. B. Bian
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Abstract

We present trigonometric parallaxes and proper motions for eight maser sources associated with high-mass star-forming regions. Four 22 GHz H$_2$O masers and four 6.7 GHz CH$_3$OH masers were observed over eight epochs between 2024 and 2025. Combining parallax, proper-motion, and radial-velocity information, we determine distances and spiral-arm assignments for these sources. The newly measured far-side masers extend the known distributions of the Sagittarius and Perseus arms toward Galactic longitudes as small as $\ell\sim10^\circ$. Their locations and kinematics agree well with recently updated spiral-arm models based on maser astrometry. In particular, the new measurements show that the far-side Sagittarius and Perseus arms tend to converge toward a common spiral feature in the inner Galaxy. This configuration is consistent with the bifurcation scenario proposed for the Milky Way spiral structure, although an unresolved inter-arm structure provides an alternative interpretation that cannot yet be excluded.

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Z. H. Lin, Y. Xu, M. Reid, J. J. Li, S. B. Bian. 2026-09-28. Trigonometric Parallaxes of Maser Sources toward the Far Side of the Milky Way. https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.34219

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