AAS 201st Meeting, January, 2003
Session 51. Galaxy Evolution and Surveys: Modeling and Theory
Poster, Tuesday, January 7, 2003, 9:20am-6:30pm, Exhibit Hall AB

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[51.11] Galactic Dynamics: Through Thick and Thin

D. F. Bartlett (University of Colorado)

Harris (1976) has suggested that a radius of about 30 kpc separates the outer halo of the Milky Way from the inner. Above this radius, galactic structures are generally diffuse and confined to a broad Magellanic Plane, perpendicular to the disk. Within this radius the generally compact globular clusters are nearly isotropic. To my knowledge, the origin of the "Harris" division is still unknown.

At the last two meetings of the AAS I have given evidence for a new universal length of 425 pc. This length has differing effects on magnetism and on gravity. The differential equation for scalar gravity is similar to Helmholtz's equation for sound waves rather than to the familiar Poisson's equation. Not surprisingly, my sinusoidal gravity exhibets analogues to both Fraunhofer and Fresnel diffraction. Here I show how the outer halo is the analogue of Fraunhofer diffraction from the central galactic bar; whereas the inner halo represents Fresnel diffraction of the galactic disk.

I also will offer quantitative explanations for why the galactic disk where stars are born, the extreme disk is so very thin and flat (Dame et al, 1987, 2001) and why gas in the inner halo is likely to be rotating cylindrically rather than about the galactic center (Benjamin, 2000).


The author(s) of this abstract have provided an email address for comments about the abstract: David.Bartlett@Colorado.edu

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