= Galactic disk flaring
= Galactic disc flaring
{synonym}
<Galactic disk flaring> is an outward increase of vertical thickness. A constant vertical <velocity dispersion> in an approximately thin-sheet stellar <Newtonian gravitational field> gives $h\propto1/\Sigma_*$. An <exponential galactic disk> then predicts $h\propto e^{R/R_d}$ for a gas tracer. Inside a thick stellar layer the potential is instead approximately harmonic, and the tracer width is $\sigma_z/\nu_z$ with <vertical epicyclic frequency> $\nu_z$.
Back to article page
