Abstract Our Galaxy is a complex machine in which several processes operate simultaneously: metal-poor gas is accreted, is chemically enriched by dying stars, and then drifts inwards, surrendering its angular momentum to stars; new stars are formed on nearly circular orbits in the equatorial plane and then diffuse through orbit space to eccentric and inclined orbits; the central stellar bar surrenders angular momentum to the surrounding disc and dark halo while acquiring angular momentum from inspiralling gas; the outer parts of the disc are constantly disturbed by satellite objects, both luminous and dark, as they sweep through pericentre. We review the conceptual tools required to bring these complex happenings into focus. Our first concern must be the construction of equilibrium models of the Galaxy, for upon these hang our hopes of determining the Galaxy’s mean gravitational field, which is required for every subsequent step. Ideally our equilibrium model should be formulated so that the secular evolution of the system can be modelled with perturbation theory. Such theory can be used to understand how stars diffuse through orbit space from either the thin gas disc in which we presume disc stars formed, or the debris of an accreted object, the presumed origin of many halo stars. Coupling this understanding to the still very uncertain predictions of the theory of stellar evolution and nucleosynthesis, we can finally extract a complete model of the chemodynamic evolution of our reasonably generic Galaxy. We discuss the relation of such a model to cosmological simulations of galaxy formation, which provide general guidance but cannot be relied on for quantitative detail.

中文翻译：

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银河考古动力学

摘要 我们的银河系是一个复杂的机器，其中有几个过程同时运行：贫金属气体被吸积，被垂死的恒星化学富集，然后向内漂移，将角动量交给恒星；新的恒星在赤道平面的近乎圆形的轨道上形成，然后通过轨道空间扩散到偏心和倾斜的轨道；中央恒星棒将角动量交给周围的圆盘和暗晕，同时从吸入的气体中获取角动量；圆盘的外部不断受到卫星物体的干扰，这些卫星物体无论是明亮的还是黑暗的，都在它们扫过中心附近。我们回顾了使这些复杂事件成为焦点所需的概念工具。我们首先关心的必须是银河系平衡模型的构建，因为我们希望确定银河系的平均引力场，这是每个后续步骤所必需的。理想情况下，我们的平衡模型应该被公式化，以便系统的长期演化可以用扰动理论建模。这样的理论可以用来理解恒星如何从我们假设盘状恒星形成的薄气体盘或吸积物体的碎片（许多晕星的假设起源）在轨道空间中扩散。将这种理解与恒星演化和核合成理论的仍然非常不确定的预测相结合，我们最终可以提取出我们合理通用的星系化学动力学演化的完整模型。我们讨论了这种模型与星系形成的宇宙学模拟之间的关系，