Solar Space Density of the Red Clump Stars and the Scale-Length of the Thin Disc

Abstract

We estimated the scale-length of the thin disc with the J and W1 magnitudes of the most probable red clump stars in the Galactic plane, -0 degrees.5 <= b <= + 0 degrees.5, in 19 equal sized fields with consecutive Galactic longitudes which cover the interval 90 degrees <= l <= 270 degrees. Our results are constrained with respect to the solar space density (D* = 5.95), which indicates that the radial variation of the density is lower for higher Galactocentric distances. The scale-length of the thin disc is 2 kpc for the fields in the Galactic anticentre direction or close to this direction, while it decreases continuously in the second and third quadrants reaching to a lower limit of h = 1.6 kpc at the Galactic longitudes l = 90 degrees and l = 270 degrees. The distribution of the scale-length in 19 fields is consistent with the predictions from the Galaxia model and its variation with longitude is probably due to the inhomogeneity structure of the disc caused by the accreted material or other features such as warp and flare.