Beryllium and the formation of the Thick Disk and of the Halo

Abstract We use Beryllium to investigate star formation in the early Galaxy. Be has been demonstrated to be a good indicator of time in these early epochs. By analyzing the so-far largest sample of halo and thick disk metal poor stars, we find a clear scatter in Be for a given value of [Fe/H] and [O/H]. The scatter is very pronounced for Halo stars, while it is marginal for thick disk stars. Our halo stars separate in the [α/Fe] - Be diagram, showing two main branches: one indistinguishable from the thick disk stars, and one with lower [α/Fe] ratio. The stars belonging to this branch are characterized by highly eccentric orbits and small perigalactic radius (Rmin). Their kinematics are consistent with an accreted component.

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