Observations Constraining the Relative Masses of the Disk, Bulge and Halo of the Milky Way

谢克特博士在威尔逊山和拉斯坎帕纳斯天文台 华盛顿卡内基研究所的研究员正在进行一项 一个观察性研究项目，由三个独立的 但相关的组件，所有这些都将有助于建设 银河系质量的三维模型。 该项目的重点是使用三种不同的质量示踪剂， 确定对银河系质量的相对贡献 从圆盘、凸起和晕中分离出来。 事实证明，要确定其相对 一个圆盘、一个凸起和一个暗晕对总的贡献 大量的外星系。 更好地理解 星系中暗物质和亮物质的相对重要性是 了解星系如何形成的先决条件 前提 谢克特博士的研究工作的基础是， 实际上不可能很好地建造 外部星系质量的约束模型。 然而，在这方面， 在银河系中，人们可以测量位置的所有三个分量， 以及各种质量示踪剂的速度。 我们 我们银河系的质量分布知识， 用于了解其他星系的结构。

Dr. Schechter, at the Mount Wilson and Las Campanas Observatories of the Carnegie Institution of Washington, is conducting an observational research project which consists of three separate but related components, all of which will aid the construction of three dimensional models of the mass of the Milky Way Galaxy. The project focuses on using three different tracers of mass to determine the relative contributions to the mass of our Galaxy from the disk, the bulge, and the halo. It has proven especially difficult to determine the relative contributions of a disk, a bulge, and a dark halo to the total masses of external galaxies. A better understanding of the relative importance of dark and luminous matter in a galaxy is a prerequisite to understanding how galaxies formed. The premise underlying Dr. Schechter's research efforts is that projection effects make it virtually impossible to construct well constrained models of the mass for external galaxies. However, in the Milky Way one can measure all three components of position and velocity for a wide variety of tracers of mass. Our knowledge of the mass distribution in our Galaxy can then be applied to understanding the structure of other galaxies.