An Empirical Extinction Curve Revealed by Gaia XP Spectra and LAMOST

Abstract

We present a direct measurement of extinction curves using corrected Gaia XP spectra of the common sources in Gaia DR3 and LAMOST DR7. Our analysis of approximately 370,000 high-quality samples yielded a high-precision average extinction curve for the Milky Way. After incorporating infrared photometric data from Two Micron All Sky Survey and Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the extinction curve spans wavelengths from 0.336 to 4.6 μm. We determine an average R ₅₅ of 2.730 ± 0.007, corresponding to R _V = 3.073 ± 0.009, and a near-infrared power-law index α of 1.935 ± 0.037. Our study confirmed some intermediate-scale structures within the optical range. One new feature was identified at 540 nm, and its intensity exhibited a correlation with extinction. This extinction curve can be used to investigate the characteristics of dust and enhance the extinction correction of Milky Way stars. A Python package for this extinction curve is available.