The M31 Velocity Vector. I. Hubble Space Telescope Proper-motion Measurements

We present the first proper-motion (PM) measurements for the galaxy M31. We obtained new V-band imaging data with the Hubble Space Telescope ACS/WFC and the WFC3/UVIS instruments of three fields: a spheroid field near the minor axis, an outer disk field along the major axis, and a field on the Giant Southern Stream. The data provide five to seven year time baselines with respect to pre-existing deep first-epoch observations of the same fields. We measure the positions of thousands of M31 stars and hundreds of compact background galaxies in each field. High accuracy and robustness is achieved by building and fitting a unique template for each individual object. The average PM for each field is obtained from the average motion of the M31 stars between the epochs with respect to the background galaxies. For the three fields, the observed PMs (μ _W , μ _N ) are, in units of mas yr^-1, (- 0.0458, -0.0376) ± (0.0165, 0.0154), (- 0.0533, -0.0104) ± (0.0246, 0.0244), and (- 0.0179, -0.0357) ± (0.0278, 0.0272), respectively. The ability to average over large numbers of objects and over the three fields yields a final displacement accuracy of a few thousandths of a pixel, corresponding to only 12 μas yr^-1. This is comparable to what has been achieved for other Local Group galaxies using Very Long Baseline Array observations of water masers. Potential systematic errors are controlled by an analysis strategy that corrects for detector charge transfer inefficiency, spatially and time-dependent geometric distortion, and point-spread function variations. The robustness of the PM measurements and uncertainties are supported by the fact that data from different instruments, taken at different times and with different telescope orientations, as well as measurements of different fields, all yield statistically consistent results. Papers II and III of this series explore the implications of the new measurements for our understanding of the history, future, and mass of the Local Group.