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Signatures of heating processes in the Galactic thin disk
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 01 October 2008
Abstract
The term “heating” is used loosely to refer to a range of processes that result in an increase in velocity dispersion with age for subgroups of disk stars. We briefly summarise the observational basis for studies of disk heating and show that qualitative differences exist between the evolution of the in-plane and vertical motions. Ways to discriminate between various heating scenarios are discussed; the most recent galaxy merger simulations may in fact suggest that discrimination on purely kinematic grounds might be unfeasible, even with large samples of stars with excellent ages.
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- Contributed Papers
- Information
- Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 4 , Symposium S258: The Ages of Stars , October 2008 , pp. 31 - 38
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- Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2009
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