Learning about Galactic structure with Gaia astrometry
Abstract
The Gaia mission is reviewed together with the expected contents of the final catalogue. It is then argued that the ultimate goal of Galactic structure studies with Gaia astrometry should be to build a dynamical model of our galaxy which is capable of explaining the contents of the Gaia catalogue. This will be possible only by comparing predicted catalogue data to Gaia's actual measurements. To complement this approach the Gaia catalogue should be used to recalibrate photometric distance and abundance indicators across the HR-diagram in order to overcome the lack of precise parallax data at the faint end of the astrometric survey. Using complementary photometric and spectroscopic data from other surveys will be essential in this respect.
- Publication:
-
Classification and Discovery in Large Astronomical Surveys
- Pub Date:
- December 2008
- DOI:
- 10.1063/1.3059048
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0810.5437
- Bibcode:
- 2008AIPC.1082..209B
- Keywords:
-
- 98.54.-h;
- 95.80.+p;
- 07.60.Dq;
- Quasars;
- active or peculiar galaxies objects and systems;
- Astronomical catalogs atlases sky surveys databases retrieval systems archives etc.;
- Photometers radiometers and colorimeters;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- Presented at the "Classification and Discovery in Large Astronomical Surveys" meeting, Ringberg Castle, 14-17 October, 2008