Microlensing results and the galactic models

Abstract

Microlensing results towards the LMC strongly depend on the properties of both the luminous and the dark matter distribution in the Galaxy. The two main sources of uncertainty come from the poor knowledge of the rotation curve at large galactocentric distance and from the possibility that MACHOs follow radial orbits in the outer Galaxy. Given these uncertainties MACHO mass values $ \sim 0.1~ M_{\odot}$ are still consistent with observations and thus brown dwarfs are to date viable candidates for MACHOs.

3 pages, latex. To appear in the proceedings of the 8th Marcel Grossmann Meeting on General Relativity, Jerusalem, 22-27 June 1997