A steady-state dynamical model for the COBE-detected Galactic bar

Abstract

A 3D steady-state stellar dynamical model for the Galactic bar is constructed with 485 orbit building blocks using an extension of the Schwarzschild technique. The model is smooth. It fits the density profile of the COBE light distribution, the observed solid-body stellar rotation curve, the fall-off of minor-axis velocity dispersion and the velocity ellipsoid at Baade's window. Maps and tables of observable velocity moments are made for easy comparisons with observation. The model has also been used to set up equilibrium initial conditions for an N-body simulation to show that it is stable. The technique used here can be applied to interpret high-quality velocity data of external bulges/bars and galactic nuclei.