My current primary research interests:
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Galactic structure and kinematics
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I’m a Co-I of the BeSSeL – Bar and Spiral Structure Legacy
Survey, a VLBA Key Science project to study the spiral structure and
kinematics of the Milky way. A detailed introduction about this project
can be found
here.
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Selected publications:
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Zhang, B., Reid, M. J., Menten, K. M., Zheng, X. W.,
Brunthaler, A., Dame, T. M., Xu, Y. and Immer, K. The Parallax of
W43: a Massive Star Forming Complex near the Galactic Bar. The
Astrophysics Journal, 2014, 781, 89
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Zhang, B., Reid, M. J., Menten, K. M., Zheng, X. W.,
Brunthaler, A., Dame, T. M., and Xu, Y. Parallaxes for W49N and
G048.60+0.02: Distant Star Forming Regions in the Perseus Spiral
Arm. The Astrophysics Journal, 2013, 775, 79
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Distance, size and kinematics of red hypergiants
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VLBI astrometry of luminous red hypergiants to study the kinematics of
circular stellar environment of the stars.
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Mapping of continuum emission from radio photospheres of red hypergiants
to determine their angular sizes.
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Selected publications:
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Zhang, B., Reid, M. J., Menten, K. M., Zheng, X. W.,
Brunthaler, A. The Distance and Size of the Red Hyper-giant NML Cyg
from VLBA and VLA Astrometry. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 2012,
544, A42
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Zhang, B., Reid, M. J., Menten, K. M., Zheng, X. W.
Distance and Kinematics of the Red Hypergiant VY CMa: Very Long
Baseline Array and Very Large Array Astrometry. The Astrophysical
Journal, 2012, 744, pp. 23-36
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Calibrating the PL relation for Mira variables
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We are observing 22 GHz H2O and 43 GHz SiO maser emission towards
several Mira variables using the VLBA to measure trigonometric
parallaxes and proper motions. Accurate distances to these stars would
help to
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provide an entirely independent check of and improve on the Galactic
Mira (infrared) period-luminosity, PL(K), relation,
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distinguish characteristics of semi-regular and long-periods Miras,
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check Galactic metallicity effects on the PL(K) relation.