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:

Imaging surveys

E.g., Pan-STARRS1, provide positions and motions, which can be extrapolated into orbits. [more]

Spectroscopic surveys

E.g. SDSS-IV, provide stellar parameters, ages, and abundances. [more]

Dynamical models

Characterize the Milky Way gravitational potential based on stellar positions and motions. [more]

Cosmological simulations

Give a fuller understanding of consequential factors and processes in the formation and subsequent evolution of the Galaxy. [more]