Mapping the structure and kinematics of the Galactic disc with Gaia data
Abstract
Galactic studies are currently undergoing a renaissance, thanks to the wealth of data from the Gaia satellite and ground-based surveys. In the Galactic disc, where most of the stars in the Galaxy are contained, stellar positions and motions have been mapped in unprecedented detail. Vertical disturbances, streaming motions, wave patterns and arches in the velocity space have been revealed on a large scale, triggering new interest and questions into the physical mechanisms regulating the dynamical evolution of the disc. At the same time, significant progress has been made towards the mapping of stars in configuration space, allowing us to identify the segments of the nearest spiral arms in the Galaxy within 5 kpc in heliocentric distance. In this talk, I will give an update on the latest results about the structure and kinematics of the Galactic disc, with particular focus on the warp and the spiral arms. I will also discuss future perspectives, and what we hope to learn in the coming years about the Milky Way and its place in the Universe.