Three classical Cepheid variable stars in the nuclear bulge of the Milky Way

Noriyuki Matsunaga (), Takahiro Kawadu, Shogo Nishiyama, Takahiro Nagayama, Naoto Kobayashi, Motohide Tamura, Giuseppe Bono, Michael W. Feast and Tetsuya Nagata
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Noriyuki Matsunaga: Kiso Observatory, Institute of Astronomy, University of Tokyo, 10762-30 Mitake, Kiso-machi, Kiso-gun, Nagano 397-0101, Japan
Takahiro Kawadu: Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
Shogo Nishiyama: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
Takahiro Nagayama: Nagoya University, Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8602, Japan
Naoto Kobayashi: Kiso Observatory, Institute of Astronomy, University of Tokyo, 10762-30 Mitake, Kiso-machi, Kiso-gun, Nagano 397-0101, Japan
Motohide Tamura: National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2-21-1 Osawa, Mitaka, Tokyo 181-8588, Japan
Giuseppe Bono: Universitá di Roma Tor Vergata, Via della Ricerca Scientifica 1, 00133 Rome, Italy
Michael W. Feast: Astrophysics, Cosmology and Gravity Centre, University of Cape Town, 7701 Rondebosch, South Africa
Tetsuya Nagata: Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa-Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan

Nature, 2011, vol. 477, issue 7363, 188-190

Abstract: Galactic Centre cepheids Cepheid variable stars are used by astronomers as standard candles to establish interstellar distances, thanks to the strong link between their luminosity and pulsation periods. As classical Cepheids have pulsation periods that decrease with increasing age, they can also be used to probe star formation history based on the distribution of their periods. A near-infrared survey of the region around the Galactic Centre has now revealed three classical Cepheids in the nuclear bulge. Their properties suggest that there was a period of elevated star formation around 25 million years ago, a timescale that is comparable with that of the cyclic gas accumulation predicted for the central part of the Milky Way.

Date: 2011
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DOI: 10.1038/nature10359

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