A study of early and intermediate type stars at the galactic poles

Abstract

A catalogue of faint blue stars at the North Galactic Pole, compiled from the literature, is presented. Spectral classifications for catalogue stars within 3° of the pole have been obtained from U.K.S.T. objective prism and St. Andrews grism plates. Photometric data on the uvby𝛽 system is presented for 572 U-F8 stars at the South Galactic Pole, with radial velocities being given for 161 of these stars. From this South Galactic Pole data the interstellar reddening towards the Pole is shown to be negligible, in agreement with the findings of other authors. A number of photometrically odd stars are isolated, including several intermediate Population II, Population II and Am stars. From available data at both Poles the relative proportions of various population groups as a function of height are discussed. There is an apparent excess of PI A over iPII stars out to Ikpc., relative to the numbers expected on the basis of the 'thick disk' of iPII stars reported by Gilmore and Reid (1983). The w-velocity distributions of Pop.I A and F stars within 200pc. of both Poles are shown to be well fitted by gaussians and these gaussians are shown to be the same for both Poles. The Pop.I A stars are shown to have a mean w-velocity of 0,6 kms⁻¹ (rms 11.1 kms.⁻¹) and the corresponding F stars to have a mean w-velocity of -2.9 kms⁻¹ (rms 10.9 kms⁻¹), implying negligible net streaming through the galactic plane.<p>