The Stellar Population of the Thin Disk

Allende Prieto, Carlos
Referencia bibliográfica

Chemical Abundances in the Universe: Connecting First Stars to Planets, Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union, IAU Symposium, Volume 265, p. 304-312

Fecha de publicación:
3
2010
Número de autores
1
Número de autores del IAC
0
Número de citas
9
Número de citas referidas
6
Descripción
We discuss recent observations of stars located close to the symmetry plane of the Milky Way, and examine them in the context of theories of Galaxy formation and evolution. The kinematics, ages, and compositions of thin disk stars in the solar neighborhood display complex patterns, and interesting correlations. The Galactic disk does not seem to pose any unsurmountable obstacles to hierarchical galaxy formation theories, but a model of the Milky Way able to reproduce the complexity found in the data will likely require a meticulous study of a significant fraction of the stars in the Galaxy. Making such an observational effort seems necessary in order to make a physics laboratory out of our own galaxy, and ultimately ensure that the most relevant processes are properly understood.