New Views on the Galaxy from the Gaia Space Mission

Explore groundbreaking insights into the Milky Way's dynamics and assembly in this 35-minute plenary talk from the APS Physics conference. Delve into the revolutionary findings from the Gaia mission's 2nd data release, which has transformed our understanding of our galaxy and its components. Learn about Galactic Archaeology and discover how merger debris is identified in the galactic halo. Examine the chemistry of the "blob" and understand the connection between Gaia-Enceladus and the formation of the thick disk and stellar halo. Investigate other substructures and debris in the galaxy, as well as the disk's composition. Conclude by exploring dark matter granularity and streams, with a focus on the GD-1 case study.

Intro
New views on the Milky Way from the Gaia mission
How did the Galaxy come to be like this?
Galactic Archaeology
(Biased) Highlights / Summary
Highlight #1
The halo: treasure trove
How do we find merger debris?
Halo stars near the Sun
The "blob": chemistry
Gaia-Enceladus and the linked thick disk and scellar halo formation
Other substructures/debris
The disk
Dark matter granularity and streams: the GD-1 case