LMC Microlensing and Very Thick Disks

Abstract

We investigate the implications of a very thick (scale height 1.5 - 3.0 kpc) disk population of MACHOs. Such a population represents a reasonable alternative to standard halo configurations of a lensing population. We find that very thick disk distributions can lower the lens mass estimate derived from the microlensing data toward the LMC, although an average lens mass substantially below $0.3\Msol$ is unlikely. Constraints from direct searches for such lenses imply very low luminosity objects: thus thick disks do not solve the microlensing lens problem. We discuss further microlensing consequences of very thick disk populations, including an increased probability for parallax events.

7 pages, 7 figures, submitted to MNRAS