  The Arcturus moving group is a well-populated example of phase space
substructure within the thick disk of our Galaxy. Traditionally regarded as the
remains of a dissolved open cluster, it has recently been suggested to be a
remnant of a satellite accreted by our Galaxy. To investigate the origin of the
group we undertook a high-resolution spectroscopic abundance study of Arcturus
group members and candidates. Examining abundance of Fe, Mg, Ca, Ti, Cr, Ni,
Zn, Ce, Nd, Sm and Gd for 134 stars we found that the group is chemically
similar to disk stars and does not exhibit a clear chemical homogeneity.
Furthermore, we confirm the existence of the Arcturus group using the
Nordstroem et al. (2004), Schuster et al. (2006) and RAdial Velocity Experiment
(RAVE) surveys (Steinmetz et al. 2006). The origin of the group still remains
unresolved: the chemical results are consistent with a dynamical origin but do
not entirely rule out a merger one. Certainly, the Arcturus group provides a
challenge to our understanding of the nature and origin of the Galaxy's thick
disk.
