Red thick disks of nearby galaxies

Abstract

Edge on systems reveal the properties of disk galaxies as a function of height, z, above the plane. Four local edge-on galaxies, that are close enough to have been resolved into stars by the Hubble Space Telescope, show thick disks, composed of a red stellar population, which is old and relatively metal rich. Color gradients, d(V-I)/dz, are zero or slightly positive. Favored models may have an explicit thick disk formation phase.