Updated Kinematics of the Radcliffe Wave: Nonsynchronous, Dipole-like Vertical Oscillations

Abstract The kinematic information of the Radcliffe wave (RW) is essential for determining its existence and gaining insights into its origin and evolution. In this work, we present an accurate measurement of the vertical velocity ( V Z ) of the RW by incorporating the radial velocity (RV) measures through two methods, which is crucial but was neglected previously. First, the velocities are measured toward young stars, using their RV measurements from APOGEE-2 and proper motion measurements from Gaia DR3. Second, we combine RV measurements toward clouds with proper motion measurements of associated young stellar objects to determine the vertical velocities of the clouds. The results reveal that the oscillations in V Z are not synchronous with the vertical coordinate Z , which differs from the conclusions of previous studies. Instead, we find a 5 km s −1 kpc −1 gradient in V Z along the RW, exhibiting a dipole-like pattern. Consequently, the kinematic arrangement does not show a corresponding coherence with the spatial arrangement, bringing the RW model into question.