Collaborative Project: The Chemical and Dynamical History of the Galaxy

Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green OH

Investigators

Abstract

AST 9988247 Laird Dr. Bruce Carney at the University of North Carolina and Dr. John Laird at Bowling Green State University are pursuing a series of observational projects which are meant to reveal how the thin disk, the thick disk, and the halo star populations of our Galaxy were assembled. For the halo population, they will study s-process and r-process abundances in normal and extreme velocity field stars that were identified in a survey of high proper motion stars they recently completed. For the thick disk, they will measure stellar radial velocities and metallicities to obtain a clearer view of the relation between three-dimensional motions and Galactic orbits with metallicity. For the thin disk, they will obtain spectra of metal-poor and metal-rich stars for direct comparison with the thick disk stars. From the data sets, these investigators will obtain a homogeneously studied sample from which to achieve a much clearer view of the chemical evolution of these stellar populations. This award is made through the Galactic Astronomy Program in the Division of Astronomical Sciences. ***