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Many approaches to galaxy dynamics assume that the gravitational potential is simple and the distribution function is time-invariant. Under these assumptions there are traditional tools for inferring potential parameters given observations…
We give independent proof of the deficit of stars in the in-plane central disc with respect to the predictions of a pure exponential density distribution. We use three different methods: 1) the inversion of the red clump giant distribution…
We present several machine learning (ML) models developed to efficiently separate stars formed in-situ in Milky Way-type galaxies from those that were formed externally and later accreted. These models, which include examples from…
Mass models of galactic disks traditionally rely on axisymmetric density and rotation curves, paradoxically acting as if their most remarkable asymmetric features, such as lopsidedness or spiral arms, were not important. In this article, we…
Irrespective of the dark matter (DM) candidate, several potentially observable signatures derive from the velocity distribution of DM in halos, in particular in the Milky Way (MW) halo. Examples include direct searches for…
The usefulness of angle-action variables in galaxy dynamics is well known, but their use is limited due to the difficulty of their calculation in realistic galaxy potentials. Here we present a method for estimating angle-action variables in…
We study the three-dimensional structure of the Milky Way using 65,981 Mira variable stars discovered by the Optical Gravitational Lensing Experiment (OGLE) survey. The spatial distribution of the Mira stars is analyzed with a model…
In this thesis, the field star Initial Mass Function (IMF) and chemical evolution parameters for the Milky Way (MW) are derived using a forward modelling technique in combination with Bayesian statistics. Starting from a local MM disc…
Massive stars play a significant role in different branches of astronomy, from shaping the processes of star and planet formation to influencing the evolution and chemical enrichment of the distant universe. Despite their high astrophysical…
Assuming spherical symmetry and dynamical equilibrium within a given gravitational potential, a dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy's globally averaged stellar velocity dispersion depends entirely on the shape of its stellar density profile.…
We review the available methods for estimating actions, angles and frequencies of orbits in both axisymmetric and triaxial potentials. The methods are separated into two classes. Unless an orbit has been trapped by a resonance, convergent,…
The circular speed curve of the Milky Way provides a key constraint on its mass distribution, reflecting the axisymmetric component of the gravitational potential. This is especially critical in the inner Galaxy ($R \lesssim 4$ kpc), where…
We propose a method to estimate the location of the Sun in the disk of the Milky Way using a method based on the Hellinger distance and construct confidence sets on our estimate of the unknown location using a bootstrap based method.…
Recent analysis of the SDSS-III/APOGEE Data Release 12 stellar catalogue has revealed that the Milky Way's metallicity distribution function (MDF) changes shape as a function of radius, transitioning from being negatively skewed at small…
Using realistic cosmological simulations of Milky Way sized haloes, we study their dynamical state and the accuracy of inferring their mass profiles with steady-state models of dynamical tracers. We use a new method that describes the…
The Milky Way's (MW) satellite population is a powerful probe of warm dark matter (WDM) models as the abundance of small substructures is very sensitive to the properties of the WDM particle. However, only a partial census of the MW's…
Massive satellite accretions onto early galactic disks can lead to the deposition of dark matter in disk-like configurations that co-rotate with the galaxy. This phenomenon has potentially dramatic consequences for dark matter detection…
We present a new, probabilistic method for determining the systemic proper motions of Milky Way (MW) ultra-faint satellites in the Dark Energy Survey (DES). We utilize the superb photometry from the first public data release (DR1) of DES to…
We use particle data from the Illustris simulation, combined with individual kinematic constraints on the mass of the Milky Way (MW) at specific distances from the Galactic center, to infer the radial distribution of the MW's dark matter…
The highly organised distribution of satellite galaxies surrounding the Milky Way is a serious challenge to the concordance cosmological model. Perhaps the only remaining solution, in this framework, is that the dwarf satellite galaxies…