The Milky Way stellar populations in CFHTLS fields

TL;DR

This study analyzes the metallicity and vertical distribution of stars in the Milky Way's thick disk using CFHTLS and SDSS data, revealing that traditional star-count models do not accurately represent observed distributions.

Contribution

It provides a detailed comparison between observed stellar distributions and simulated models, highlighting discrepancies in the thick disk representation.

Findings

Thick disk is not well modeled as a distinct component in star-count models.

Observed ([Fe/H], Z) distributions differ from simulated predictions.

CFHTLS and SDSS data reveal complexities in the thick disk structure.

Abstract

We investigate the characteristics of the thick disk in the Canada - France - Hawaii - Telescope Legacy Survey (CFHTLS) fields, complemented at bright magnitudes with Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) data. The ([Fe/H], Z) distributions are derived in the W1 and W3 fields, and compared with simulated maps produced using the Besan\c{c}on model. It is shown that the thick disk, represented in star-count models by a distinct component, is not an adequate description of the observed ([Fe/H], Z) distributions in these fields.