Dr. Roberta Humpheys (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities), Dr. Juan Cabanela (St. Cloud State University) and Dr. Jeffrey Larsen (United States Naval Academy) will undertake a program of photometric and spectroscopic observations, as well as computer modeling, to map the so-called "asymmetric thick disk" and its kinematics in the inner part of the Galaxy. The intellectual goal of the research is to address several questions related to this structure, including its size, extent along our line of sight, and the degree of spatial and kinematic symmetry relative to the plane. This information will be used to test models for the origin of this asymmetry, which may involve a triaxial thick disk, a gravitational interaction with the Galactic bar in the disk, or the fossil remnant of a galaxy merger. The research will have broad impact through the involvement of undergraduate and graduate students, and by fostering close collaboration between a research extensive university, and two primarily undergraduate institutions.
