![](/3547180/header_image-1433330815.jpg?t=eyJ3aWR0aCI6ODQ4LCJmaWxlX2V4dGVuc2lvbiI6ImpwZyIsIm9ial9pZCI6MzU0NzE4MH0%3D--c76ef3332ce60239304bacc73cb3b0e4da97faf9)
![Dark matter, cold gas, and stars are shown in three parallel views of a simulation of the formation of the Milky Way.](/4486341/original-1518438329.jpg?t=eyJ3aWR0aCI6MjQ2LCJvYmpfaWQiOjQ0ODYzNDF9--bb7e0d290bda26371f8f390429ed538f8d5c58e6)
Dark matter, cold gas, and stars are shown in three parallel views of a simulation of the formation of the Milky Way.
MPIA/G.Stinson
Why study the Milky Way?
- It is a very typical galaxy (e.g., by mass)
- It is our galaxy (e.g., proximity allows for detailed observations)
Observations can tell us the probability distribution of a star's orbit, age, and composition, for every star in the Galaxy.
Questions
The main questions we address on the different aspects of our research are:
- Did the Milky Way form inside out?
- Why is the disk as large and thin/thick as it is observed?
- Do stars stay on their birth orbits?
- How was the Milky Way's stellar halo assembled?
Tools
We use a number of powerful tools that, when combined, produce a comprehensive and detailed picture of our galaxy today: