The new Basel high-latitude field star survey of the Galaxy - II. The thick disk component: density structure, luminosity function, and metallicity distribution

Abstract

We present an expanded and refined analysis of the Galactic thick disk as observed in seven fields of the new Basel RGU star count and color survey data. Based on the optimized structural models which were obtained in the initial analysis (Buser et al. 1998a, hereafter Paper I), we now employ the same systematic least-squares algorithm, introducing more realistic luminosity functions for each population component, applying a more adequate matrix of color transformations in simulating the data, and extending the structural parameter ranges in order to determine improved characteristics of the thick-disk model.