| Issue |
A&A
Volume 433, Number 1, April I 2005
|
|
|---|---|---|
| Page(s) | 173 - 183 | |
| Section | Galactic structure, stellar clusters, and populations | |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20041255 | |
| Published online | 14 March 2005 | |
The thick disc component of the Galaxy from near infrared colour–magnitude diagrams
1
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain e-mail: acabrera@ll.iac.es
2
Departamento de Astrofísica, Universidad de La Laguna, 38200 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain
Received:
7
May
2004
Accepted:
8
December
2004
The vertical distribution of K giants stars is analyzed using 2MASS data
and a semiempirical method of extracting stellar densities from
the 
colour–magnitude diagrams. The vertical density distribution of red clump giant
stars can be described by a
double exponential, with scaleheights of 268.81 ± 12.65 pc
and 1061.9 ± 52.16 pc. These values are in agreement with the expected values
for the thin and thick disc
components of the Milky Way. For the thick disc, the radial scalelength is also obtained,
with a value of hR = 3.04 ± 0.11 kpc.
Key words: Galaxy: general / Galaxy: stellar content / Galaxy: structure / infrared: stars / Galaxy: disk
© ESO, 2005
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