The stellar halo of the Galaxy |
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Authors: | Amina Helmi |
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Institution: | (1) Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | Stellar halos may hold some of the best preserved fossils of the formation history of galaxies. They are a natural product
of the merging processes that probably take place during the assembly of a galaxy, and hence may well be the most ubiquitous
component of galaxies, independently of their Hubble type. This review focuses on our current understanding of the spatial
structure, the kinematics and chemistry of halo stars in the Milky Way. In recent years, we have experienced a change in paradigm
thanks to the discovery of large amounts of substructure, especially in the outer halo. I discuss the implications of the
currently available observational constraints and fold them into several possible formation scenarios. Unraveling the formation
of the Galactic halo will be possible in the near future through a combination of large wide field photometric and spectroscopic
surveys, and especially in the era of Gaia. |
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Keywords: | Galaxy: halo Galaxy: formation Galaxy: evolution Galaxy: kinematics and dynamics |
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