Milky Way halo velocity dispersion profile

The sample is a mix of 74% evolved horizontal branch stars and 26% blue stragglers. We estimate distances to the stars using observed colors, metallicities, and stellar evolution tracks.

Our sample contains twice as many objects with R>50kpc as previous surveys. We compute the velocity dispersion profile in two ways: with a parametric method based on a Milky Way potential model and with a non-parametric method based on the caustic technique originally developed to measure galaxy cluster mass profiles. The resulting velocity dispersion profiles are remarkably consistent with those found by two independent surveys based on other stellar populations: the Milky Way halo exhibits a mean decline in radial velocity dispersion of -0.38+/-0.12km/s/kpc over 15<R<75kpc.