Angle-action estimation in a general axisymmetric potential

The usefulness of angleaction variables in galaxy dynamics is well known, but their use is limited due to the difficulty of their calculation in realistic galaxy potentials. Here we present a method for estimating angleaction variables in a realistic Milky Way axisymmetric potential by locally fitting a Stackel potential over the region an orbit probes. The quality of the method is assessed by comparison with other known methods for estimating angleaction variables of a range of disc and halo-type orbits. We conclude by projecting the GenevaCopenhagen survey into angleaction space.