A Motion Picture Film of Galactic 21-cm Line Emission

Abstract

Since 1964 we have been observing 21-cm line profiles in a new survey of the neutral hydrogen distribution in the neighborhood of the galactic plane with the 300-foot radio telescope of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory* in Green Bank, W.Va. This is the largest telescope available for 21-cm line work; it has a beamwidth of 10 min of arc and is equipped with an excellent line receiver. Since it seems unlikely that an extensive hydrogen-line survey will be made with any larger telescope, we felt that for reference purposes a concerted effort should be made to obtain as many 21-cm data as possible pertaining to the structure of the Galaxy with this telescope. The data have been presented in the form of contour maps giving the intensity of the 21-cm line radiation as a function of right-ascension and velocity at constant declination. A series of contour maps was distributed to the astronomical community in 1966 as the first edition of the Maryland-Green Bank Galactic 21-cm Line Survey. The second edition, containing 1200 pages and approximately 1800 maps, was distributed in the summer and fall of 1969. It is expected that additional contour maps, completing the survey as originally planned, covering a latitude range from b^II = +1° to −1°, l^II = 11° to 235° (b^II = +3° to −3° between l^II = 100° and 145°), will be finished by the summer of 1970. Scans were made across the galactic equator with a stationary telescope, so that the declination is constant through each scan; the declination intervals varied from 4 to 6 min of arc. Eventually, we plan to cover a strip from b^II = +5° to −5° between l^II = 11° and 235°, containing 225000 independent points at intervals of 6 min of arc, with an effective beamwidth of 12.5 min of arc, a velocity resolution of 2 km s⁻¹, and a total of 1.2 × 10⁸ individual intensities.