Faint M-Dwarfs and the Structure of the Galactic Disk

We use broadband photometry and low-resolution spectra of a complete sampleof late-K and M dwarfs brighter than I=22 in three fields at high galacticlatitude to study issues relating to galactic structure and large scaleabundance gradients in the Galaxy. The observed starcounts in each field are agood match to the predictions of models based on deep starcount data in otherintermediate-latitude fields, and these models identify the late-type stars asmembers of the Galactic disk. Abundances for these late type stars areestimated via narrowband indices that measure the strength of the TiO and CaHbands in their spectra. Our results show that the average abundance in theGalactic disk remains close to solar even at heights of more than 2 kpc abovethe Plane.