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Paper: The Importance of Galactic Halos to Understanding Galaxy Formation
Volume: 92, Formation of the Galactic Halo. . . . Inside and Out
Page: 3
Authors: Freeman, K. C.
Abstract: The accretion of small fragments, as proposed by Searle and Zinn, is important in the formation of the halo. Halo-building by accretion is a continuing process, as indicated by the recent discovery of a young, metal-poor component of the halo and of the tidally disrupting Sgr dwarf galaxy. The dynamical and chemical properties of the halo reflect the properties of the fragments and, in this sense, the halo is a potential source of information about the short-wavelength end of the pre-galactic fluctuation spectrum. We discuss the differences between the large bulges of galaxies like M31 and the Sombrero galaxy and the metal-poor halo of our Galaxy, in terms of their angular momentum content and the galaxy formation processes.
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