"A non-axisymmetric potential for the Milky Way"
Gaia has revealed the details of the non-axisymmetric velocity field of the Milky Way disk in unprecedented detail. However, devising a precise model of the underlying non-axisymmetric Galactic components is far from trivial. In this talk, I will present my approach to this problem, enabling the first-ever direct fit of a realistic non-axisymmetric Galactic dynamical model — with a bar and two spiral modes — to the velocity field as measured with Gaia. I will then focus on the details of this model, its limitations, and ongoing improvements. I will also discuss its applications, with recent examples including Galactic tides in the Solar System and the influence of the Galactic bar on the stellar halo and its tracers.
Host: Massimo Dotti