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RR Lyrae stars as probes of the Milky Way structure and formation
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 09 May 2016
Abstract
RR Lyrae stars being distance indicators and tracers of old population serve as excellent probes of the structure, formation, and evolution of our Galaxy. Thousands of them are being discovered in ongoing wide-field surveys. The OGLE project conducts the Galaxy Variability Survey with the aim to detect and analyze variable stars, in particular of RRab type, toward the Galactic bulge and disk, covering a total area of 3000 deg2. Observations in these directions also allow detecting background halo variables and unique studies of their properties and distribution at distances from the Galactic Center to even 40 kpc. In this contribution, we present the first results on the spatial distribution of the observed RRab stars, their metallicity distribution, the presence of multiple populations, and relations with the old bulge. We also show the most recent results from the analysis of RR Lyrae stars of the Sgr dwarf spheroidal galaxy, including its center, the globular cluster M54.
- Type
- Contributed Papers
- Information
- Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 11 , Issue S317: The General Assembly of Galaxy Halos: Structure, Origin and Evolution , August 2015 , pp. 116 - 119
- Copyright
- Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2016
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