Velocities of blue stars near (l,b)=(198,-27)

We infer that the low Galactic latitude structure is at a fairly constant distance of R=18+/-2kpc from the Galactic center above the Galactic plane and has R=20+/-2kpc in the region sampled below the Galactic plane. The evidence includes 500 Sloan Digital Sky Survey spectroscopic radial velocities of stars within 30{deg} of the plane.

The velocity dispersion of the stars associated with this structure is found to be 27km/s at (l, b)=(198, -27), 22km/s at (l, b)=(225, 28), 30km/s at (l, b)=(188, 24), and 30km/s at (l, b)=(182, 27). The structure rotates in the same prograde direction as the Galactic disk stars but with a circular velocity of 110+/-25km/s. The narrow measured velocity dispersion is inconsistent with power-law spheroid or thick-disk populations.