A test of the Lauer-Postman bulk flow

We use Tully-Fisher distances for a sample of field late spiral galaxies to test the Lauer & Postman result suggestive of a bulk flow with respect to the cosmic microwave background reference frame, of amplitude of +689 km s(-1) in the direction l = 343 degrees, b = +52 degrees. A total of 432 galaxies are used, subdivided between two cones, of 30 degrees semiaperture each and pointed toward the apex and antapex of the LP motion, respectively. The peculiar velocities in the two data sets are inconsistent with a bulk flow of the amplitude claimed by Lauer & Postman. When combined in opposition, the peculiar velocity medians in shells of constant redshift width are never larger than half the amplitude of the Lauer & Postman bulk flow. Out to 5000 km s(-1) the median hulk velocity in the Lauer & Postman apex-antapex cones is about 200 km s(-1) or less, dropping to a value indistinguishable from zero beyond that distance. It can be excluded that field spiral galaxies within 8000 km s(-1) partake of a bulk flow of the amplitude and direction reported by Lauer & Postman.