Kinematic Analysis of Chemically-Peculiar, Metal-Poor Stars in the Milky Way Halo
Angela Beatty
Department of Physics & Astronomy
Faculty Supervisor: Charli Sakari
Models for galaxy formation predict that galaxies form through the ongoing assembly of small dwarf galaxies, and observations have confirmed that this process has been important for the Milky Way. Continued characterizations of stars in the Milky Way’s halo of old stars will build up more understanding of the ancient building blocks of the Milky Way, including how many dwarf galaxies formed the Milky Way, how massive they were, and when they were accreted. Understanding the kinematics of stars is key to identifying potential birth sites and finding clumps of stars that may have formed together. In this poster, we present orbital dynamics of chemically peculiar metal-poor stars observed at Lick observatory. We calculate orbital velocities, energies, and integrated motions using galactic dynamics code (AGAMA). Toomre diagrams and projected-action plots visualize the orbital motions of these stars. The kinematics of these stars reveal potential birth sites and provide insight into the substructures of the Milky Way.