Kinematics of the Galactic Inner Spheroid

Extract

Analysis of the detailed photometric, kinematic and chemical properties of stellar populations constrains the formation history of the Galaxy. We have completed a photometric survey and initiated a spectroscopic survey, obtaining radial velocities and abundances for volume complete samples of spheroid dwarfs in situ, to distances of a few kpc. Three fields under study are those for which Chiu (Ap. J. Suppl. 1980) obtained proper motions - SA 57 (NGP), SA51 (anticenter field) and SA68. Two of these fields are on the sun - Galactic center meridional plane (SA57 and SA51) so that (U,V) and (V,W) components of space motion respectively may be derived on the basis of the proper motions alone, once distances have been obtained. Our initial distance estimates are from Chiu's photometry and population classes, which are based on the position of the star on the reduced proper motion diagram.