Towards a consistent model of the Galaxy. II. Derivation of the model

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Authors
Méra, Dominique
Chabrier, Gilles
Schaeffer, Richard
Advisors
Issue Date
1998
Type
Article
Keywords
Cosmology: Dark Matter , Galaxy: Halo , Galaxy: Stellar Content , Stars: Low-mass, Brown Dwarfs
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Citation
M'era, D., Chabrier, G., C.R.A.L., R.S., Sup'erieure, E.N., Lyon, France., Th'eorique, S.D., Saclay, C.D., Gif-sur-Yvette, Department, F.P., University, W.S., Wichita, K., & Usa (1998). Towards a consistent model of the Galaxy: II. Derivation of the model. arXiv: Astrophysics.
Abstract

We use the calculations derived in a previous paper (Méra, Chabrier and Schaeffer, 1997), based on observational constraints arising from star counts, microlensing experiments and kinematic properties, to determine the amount of dark matter under the form of stellar and sub-stellar objects in the different parts of the Galaxy. This yields the derivation of different mass-models for the Galaxy. In the light of all the aforementioned constraints, we discuss two models that correspond to different conclusions about the nature and the location of the Galactic dark matter. In the first model there is a small amount of dark matter in the disk, and a large fraction of the dark matter in the halo is still undetected and likely to be non-baryonic. The second, less conventional model is consistent with entirely, or at least predominantly baryonic dark matter, under the form of brown dwarfs in the disk and while dwarfs in the dark halo. We derive observational predictions for these two models which should be verifiable by near future infrared and microlensing observations. © 2004 Elsevier Science B.V., Amsterdam. All rights reserved.

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Publisher
EDP Sciences
Journal
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Book Title
Series
PubMed ID
DOI
ISSN
0004-6361
1432-0746
EISSN