In Memorie della Societa Astronomica Italiana, v.77, p.1095 (2006).
http://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0610676

For a PDF version of the article, click here.

Abstract: We explore the motivation behind large stellar surveys in Galactic astronomy, in particular, surveys that measure the photometric, phase space and abundance properties of thousands or millions of stars. These observations are essential to unravelling the sequence of events involved in galaxy formation and evolution, although disentangling key signatures from the complexity continues to be very challenging. The new data will require major advances in our understanding of stellar atmospheres, stellar chemistry, the dynamics of the Galaxy and the Local Group.

Keywords :

Stars: abundances – Stars: kinematics – Stars: Population III – Galaxy: abundances – Galaxy: kinematics – Cosmology: observations

Table of Contents

• GALACTIC SURVEYS - WHY BOTHER?
• WHAT RECENT SURVEYS HAVE REVEALED
• Resolved stellar populations
• Thick disks & outer disks
• Abundance patterns and gradients
• Substructure & streams
• FUTURE SURVEYS
• The case for extending beyond the Local Group
• The origin of the thick and thin disk
• The origin of the bulge and halo: ancient stars
• THE IMPORTANCE OF A DYNAMICAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE GALAXY
• TESTING CDM IN THE NON-LINEAR REGIME
• A COMPLETE THEORY OF GALAXY FORMATION?
• REFERENCES