EXTRAGALACTIC THICK DISKS.

I briefly review the growing evidence that thick stellar disks surround most edgeon disk galaxies. Recent studies show that these extragalactic thick disks have old ages, low metallicities, long scale lengths, and moderately flattened axial ratios, much like the thick disk of the MilkyWay. However, the properties of thick disks change systematically with the mass of the galaxy. The thick disks of low mass galaxies are more prominent and somewhat more metal-poor than those surrounding massive disk galaxies. Given the strong evidence that thick disks are fossils from an early epoch of merging, these trends place tight constraints on the early assembly of disk galaxies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]