The Milky Way Has Both a Thin and Thick Disk

question 14

Multiple Choice

The Milky Way has both a thin and thick disk of stars. Which one of the following statements about them is FALSE?

• A) The thin disk stars on average are younger than the thick disk stars.
• B) Molecular clouds are distributed more like the thin disk stars rather than the thick disk stars.
• C) The thin disk stars on average have lower abundances of heavy elements than the thick disk stars.
• D) The thick disk stars may be older thin disk stars that have higher upward velocities because they have gravitationally interacted more with molecular clouds in the spiral arms.
• E) The thick disk may have formed when a small dwarf galaxy merged with the Milky Way.

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