The 3D Velocity Structure of the Thick Disk from SPM4 and RAVE DR2
  We analyze the 3D kinematics of a sample of $\sim 4400$ red clump stars
ranging between 5 and 10 kpc from the Galactic center and up to 3 kpc from the
Galactic plane. This sample is representative for the metal-rich ([Fe/H] = -0.6
to 0.5) thick disk. Absolute proper motions are from the fourth release of the
Southern Proper Motion Program, and radial velocities from the second release
of the Radial Velocity Experiment. The derived kinematical properties of the
thick disk include: the rotational velocity gradient $\partial V_{\theta} /
\partial z = -25.2 \pm 2.1$ km s$^{-1}$ kpc$^{-1}$, velocity dispersions
$(\sigma_{V_R}, \sigma_{V_{\theta}}, \sigma_{V_z})|_{z=1} = (70.4, 48.0, 36.2)
\pm(4.1,8.3,4.0)$ km s$^{-1}$, and velocity-ellipsoid tilt angle $\alpha_{Rz} =
8.6\arcdeg \pm 1.8 \arcdeg$. Our dynamical estimate of the thin-disk scale
length is $R_{thin} = 2.0 \pm 0.4$ kpc and the thick-disk scale height is
$z_{thick} = 0.7 \pm 0.1$ kpc.
  The observed orbital eccentricity distribution compared with those from four
different models of the formation of the thick disk from Sales et al. favor the
gas-rich merger model and the minor merger heating model.
  Interestingly, when referred to the currently accepted value of the LSR,
stars more distant than 0.7 kpc from the Sun show a net average radial velocity
of $13 \pm3 $ km s$^{-1}$. This result is seen in previous kinematical
studiesusing other tracers at distances larger than $\sim 1$ kpc. We suggest
this motion reflects an inward perturbation of the locally-defined LSR induced
by the spiral density wave.
