Published June 1991 | Version v1
Journal article

A search for distant stars in the Milky Way Galaxy's halo and thick disk

  • 1. Observatorio Astronomico Nacional, San Ysidro, CA (USA)
  • 2. North Carolina, University, Chapel Hill (USA)
  • 3. Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, Cambridge, MA (USA)

Description

In situ observations of 247 faint, distant stars with B-V less than or equal to 1.00 are reported near the north galactic pole in the galactic halo or thick disk. Omega velocities for all of the stars and luminosities, distances, and metallicities for half of the stars are given. Thick-disk and halo stars comprise the majority of the sample which is divided into three populations. The specific metallicities and velocity dispersions of the thin disk, thick disk, and the halo are presented, and speculations are made for the stars that comprise a more distant, faint halo. The stars in the thick disk are described as red and old, and two faint stars are employed to estimate the mass of the galaxy. About 10 percent of the observed stars are in fact galaxies, although none of the motions of the halo, O, A, B, or zero-metal stars show any evidence of imbalance. The possibility that a halo moving group exists within the sample is shown to be improbable. 80 refs

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Astronomical Journal
Journal Volume
101
Series
Astron. J.
Journal Page Range
2078-2096
ISSN
0004-6256
CODEN
ANJOA

INIS

Country of Publication
United States
Country of Input or Organization
United States
INIS RN
22078865
Subject category
S79: ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY;
Descriptors DEI
AGE ESTIMATION; DISTANCE; ELEMENT ABUNDANCE; LUMINOSITY; MASS; MILKY WAY; MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES; SPECTROPHOTOMETRY; STARS; VELOCITY
Descriptors DEC
GALAXIES; OPTICAL PROPERTIES; PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; QUANTITY RATIO