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D. Hurley-Keller (Case Western Reserve University)
The similarity of faint thick disk and halo populations in other spiral galaxies to those of the Milky Way remains in question, as the opportunities to observe them are rare. Does the nearest large spiral to us, M31, have a thick disk and halo anything like that of the Milky Way? We have velocities for a sample of 130 planetary nebulae near the minor axis and in the SE quadrant of M31 out to radii of ~20 kpc. We find kinematic evidence of a thick disk and also a faint but distinct halo in M31. We compare the properties of these populations with those of the Milky Way halo and thick disk and discuss what this comparison may tell us about the accretion histories of these two galaxies. I will also briefly talk about how research can inform teaching not just through content, but also through the shared struggle of "thinking like a scientist", about my attempts to implement this in Astro 101, and about how this idea might be applied to a course aimed at training and providing support for women science majors.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 34
© 2002. The American Astronomical Soceity.