Kinematic modeling of the galaxy. II - Two samples of high proper motion stars

The paper analyzes two independent surveys, due to Fouts and Sandage and to Carney and Latham, of high proper motion stars with photoelectric photometry and line-of-sight velocity information. A purely kinematic study of both samples indicates that a two-component classical (disk + spheroid) model of the Galaxy is inadequate to represent the kinematics of stars in the solar neighborhood. A component with intermediate kinematic properties (old disk) is required. An asymmetric drift of 50 + or - 15 km/s and principal velocity dispersions of (66, 37, 38) + or - 10 km/s are determined, in good agreement with the results of the metallicity-based analysis of Sandage and Fouts and of Carney and collaborators. The density of this component is poorly constrained, and is 10 percent + or - 5 percent of the local disk density for the same color range; the scale height is less than 1 kpc.