scholarly journals Resolving the stellar halos of six massive disk galaxies beyond the Local Group

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (S317) ◽  
pp. 222-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonela Monachesi ◽  
Eric F. Bell ◽  
David J. Radburn-Smith ◽  
Roelof S. de Jong ◽  
Jeremy Bailin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Local Group ◽  
Density Profiles ◽  
Galaxy Halos ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Stellar Halo ◽  
Red Giant ◽  
Stellar Properties ◽  
Giant Branch Stars

AbstractModels of galaxy formation in a hierarchical universe predict substantial scatter in the halo-to-halo stellar properties, owing to stochasticity in galaxies' merger histories. Currently, only few detailed observations of stellar halos are available, mainly for the Milky Way and M31. We present the stellar halo color/metallicity and density profiles of red giant branch stars out to ~60 kpc along the minor axis of six massive nearby Milky Way-like galaxies beyond the Local Group from the Galaxy Halos, Outer disks, Substructure, Thick disks and Star clusters (GHOSTS) HST survey. This enlargement of the sample of galaxies with observations of stellar halo properties is needed to understand the range of possible halo properties, i.e. not only the mean properties but also the halo-to-halo scatter, what a ‘typical’ halo looks like, and how similar the Milky Way halo is to other halos beyond the Local Group.

scholarly journals Resolving the stellar outskirts of six Milky Way-like galaxies beyond the Local Group

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (S321) ◽  
pp. 43-43
Author(s):  
A. Monachesi ◽  
E. F. Bell ◽  
D. J. Radburn-Smith ◽  
B. Harmsen ◽  
R. S. de Jong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Local Group ◽  
Spiral Galaxies ◽  
Disk Galaxies ◽  
Galaxy Halos ◽  
Model Predictions ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Thick Disks ◽  
Stellar Properties

AbstractModels of galaxy formation in a hierarchical universe predict substantial scatter in the halo-to-halo stellar properties, owing to stochasticity in galaxies’ merger histories. Currently, only few detailed observations of galaxy’s halos are available, mainly for the Milky Way and M31. The Galaxy Halos, Outer disks, Substructure, Thick disks and Star clusters (GHOSTS) HST survey is the largest study to date of the resolved stellar populations in the outskirts of disk galaxies and its observations offer a direct test of model predictions. Here we present the results we obtain for six highly inclined nearby Milky Way-mass spiral galaxies. We find a great diversity in the properties of their stellar halos.

scholarly journals Distance to the nearby dwarf galaxy [TT2009] 25 in the NGC 891 group using the tip of the red giant branch

2019 ◽  
Vol 629 ◽  
pp. L2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oliver Müller ◽  
Rodrigo Ibata ◽  
Marina Rejkuba ◽  
Lorenzo Posti
Keyword(s):  
Milky Way ◽  
Local Group ◽  
Dwarf Galaxies ◽  
Dwarf Galaxy ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Accurate Information ◽  
Standard Candle ◽  
Stellar Halo ◽  
Red Giant ◽  
Small Field Of View

Dwarf galaxies are key objects for small-scale cosmological tests like the abundance problems or the planes-of-satellites problem. A crucial task is therefore to get accurate information for as many nearby dwarf galaxies as possible. Using extremely deep, ground-based V and i-band Subaru Suprime Cam photometry with a completeness of i = 27 mag, we measure the distance of the dwarf galaxy [TT2009] 25 using the tip of the red giant branch as a standard candle. This dwarf resides in the field around the Milky Way-analog NGC 891. Using a Bayesian approach, we measure a distance of 10.28−1.73+1.17 Mpc, which is consistent with the distance of NGC 891, and thus confirm it as a member of NGC 891. The dwarf galaxy follows the scaling relations defined by the Local Group dwarfs. We do not find an extended stellar halo around [TT2009] 25. In the small field of view of 100 kpc covered by the survey, only one bright dwarf galaxy and the giant stream are apparent. This is comparable to the Milky Way, where one bright dwarf resides in the same volume, as well as the Sagittarius stream – excluding satellites which are farther away but would be projected in the line-of-sight. It is thus imperative to survey for additional dwarf galaxies in a larger area around NGC 891 to test the abundance of dwarf galaxies and compare this to the number of satellites around the Milky Way.

scholarly journals A dark matter profile to model diverse feedback-induced core sizes of ΛCDM haloes

2020 ◽  
Vol 497 (2) ◽  
pp. 2393-2417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandres Lazar ◽  
James S Bullock ◽  
Michael Boylan-Kolchin ◽  
T K Chan ◽  
Philip F Hopkins ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Cold Dark Matter ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Dark Matter Halo ◽  
Constant Density ◽  
Core Formation ◽  
Density Profiles ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Two Parameter

ABSTRACT We analyse the cold dark matter density profiles of 54 galaxy haloes simulated with Feedback In Realistic Environments (FIRE)-2 galaxy formation physics, each resolved within $0.5{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the halo virial radius. These haloes contain galaxies with masses that range from ultrafaint dwarfs ($M_\star \simeq 10^{4.5}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$) to the largest spirals ($M_\star \simeq 10^{11}\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$) and have density profiles that are both cored and cuspy. We characterize our results using a new, analytic density profile that extends the standard two-parameter Einasto form to allow for a pronounced constant density core in the resolved innermost radius. With one additional core-radius parameter, rc, this three-parameter core-Einasto profile is able to characterize our feedback-impacted dark matter haloes more accurately than other three-parameter profiles proposed in the literature. To enable comparisons with observations, we provide fitting functions for rc and other profile parameters as a function of both M⋆ and M⋆/Mhalo. In agreement with past studies, we find that dark matter core formation is most efficient at the characteristic stellar-to-halo mass ratio M⋆/Mhalo ≃ 5 × 10−3, or $M_{\star } \sim 10^9 \, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$, with cores that are roughly the size of the galaxy half-light radius, rc ≃ 1−5 kpc. Furthermore, we find no evidence for core formation at radii $\gtrsim 100\ \rm pc$ in galaxies with M⋆/Mhalo < 5 × 10−4 or $M_\star \lesssim 10^6 \, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$. For Milky Way-size galaxies, baryonic contraction often makes haloes significantly more concentrated and dense at the stellar half-light radius than DMO runs. However, even at the Milky Way scale, FIRE-2 galaxy formation still produces small dark matter cores of ≃ 0.5−2 kpc in size. Recent evidence for a ∼2 kpc core in the Milky Way’s dark matter halo is consistent with this expectation.

scholarly journals Tracing the stellar halo of an early type galaxy out to 25 effective radii

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (S317) ◽  
pp. 9-14
Author(s):  
Marina Rejkuba
Keyword(s):  
Major Axis ◽  
Minor Axis ◽  
Red Giants ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Stellar Halo ◽  
History Of ◽  
Red Giant ◽  
Giant Branch Stars ◽  
Stellar Density ◽  
Early Type Galaxy

AbstractWe have used ACS and WFC3 cameras on board HST to resolve stars in the halo of NGC 5128 out to 140 kpc (25 effective radii, Reff) along the major axis and 70 kpc (13 Reff) along the minor axis. This dataset provides an unprecedented radial coverage of stellar halo properties in any galaxy. Color-magnitude diagrams clearly reveal the presence of the red giant branch stars belonging to the halo of NGC 5128 even in the most distant fields. The V-I colors of the red giants enable us to measure the metallicity distribution in each field and so map the metallicity gradient over the sampled area. The stellar metallicity follows a shallow gradient and even out at 140 kpc (25 Reff) its median value does not go below [M/H]~−1 dex. We observe significant field-to-field metallicity and stellar density variations. The star counts are higher along the major axis when compared to minor axis field located 90 kpc from the galaxy centre, indicating flattening in the outer halo. These observational results provide new important constraints for the assembly history of the halo and the formation of this gE galaxy.

scholarly journals Testing galaxy formation models with the GHOSTS survey: The stellar halo of M81

2012 ◽  
Vol 10 (H16) ◽  
pp. 379-379
Author(s):  
A. Monachesi ◽  
E. Bell ◽  
D. Radburn-Smith ◽  
M. Vlajić ◽  
R. de Jong ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Local Group ◽  
Hubble Space Telescope ◽  
Stellar Populations ◽  
Disk Galaxies ◽  
Model Predictions ◽  
Stellar Halo ◽  
Color Gradient ◽  
Red Giant ◽  
Good Agreement

AbstractThe GHOSTS survey is the largest study to date of the resolved stellar populations in the outskirts of disk galaxies (Radburn-Smith et al.2011). The sample currently consists of 16 nearby disk galaxies, whose outer disks and halos are imaged with the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). I will present new results obtained from the study of 19 GHOSTS fields in M81's outermost part. The observed fields probe the stellar halo of M81 out to projected distances of ~50 kpc, an unprecedented distance for halo studies outside the Local Group. The 50% completeness levels of the color magnitude diagrams are typically at 2.5 mag below the tip of the red giant branch. When considering only fields located at galactocentric radius R > 15 kpc, we detect no color gradient in the stellar halo of M81. We compare these results with model predictions for the colors of stellar halos formed purely via accretion of satellite galaxies (Bullock & Johnston 2005). When we analyze the cosmologically motivated models in the same way as the HST data, we find that they predict no color gradient for the stellar halos, in good agreement with the observations (see Fig. 1).

scholarly journals Tracing the anemic stellar halo of M 101

2020 ◽  
Vol 637 ◽  
pp. A8 ◽  
Author(s):  
In Sung Jang ◽  
Roelof S. de Jong ◽  
Benne W. Holwerda ◽  
Antonela Monachesi ◽  
Eric F. Bell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Surface Brightness ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Mass Density ◽  
Outer Region ◽  
Public Image ◽  
Number Density ◽  
Density Profiles ◽  
Stellar Halo ◽  
Red Giant

Models of galaxy formation in a cosmological context predict that massive disk galaxies should have structured extended stellar halos. Recent studies in integrated light, however, report that a few galaxies, including the nearby disk galaxy M 101, have no measurable stellar halos to the detection limit. We aim to quantify the stellar content and structure of M 101’s outskirts by resolving its stars. We present the photometry of its stars based on deep F606W and F814W images taken with Hubble Space Telescope (HST) as part of the GHOSTS survey. The HST fields are placed along the east and west sides of M 101 out to galactocentric distance (R) of ∼70 kpc. The constructed color-magnitude diagrams of stars reach down to two magnitudes below the tip of the red giant branch. We derived radial number density profiles of the bright red giant branch (RGB) stars. The mean color of the RGB stars at R ∼ 40−60 kpc is similar to those of metal-poor globular clusters in the Milky Way. We also derived radial surface brightness profiles using the public image data provided by the Dragonfly team. Both the radial number density and surface brightness profiles were converted to radial mass density profiles and combined. We find that the mass density profiles show a weak upturn at the very outer region, where surface brightness is as faint as μg ≈ 33 mag arcsec−2. An exponential disk + power-law halo model on the mass density profiles finds the total stellar halo mass of Mhalo = 8.2−2.2+3.5 × 107 M⊙. The total stellar halo mass does not exceed Mhalo = 3.2 × 108 M⊙ when strongly truncated disk models are considered. In combining the halo mass with the total stellar mass of M 101, we obtain the stellar halo mass fraction of Mhalo/Mgal = 0.20−0.08+0.10% with an upper limit of 0.78%. We compare the halo properties of M 101 with those of six GHOSTS survey galaxies as well as the Milky Way and M 31 and find that M 101 has an anemic stellar halo similar to the Milky Way.

scholarly journals Pushing back the limits: detailed properties of dwarf galaxies in a ΛCDM universe

2018 ◽  
Vol 616 ◽  
pp. A96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yves Revaz ◽  
Pascale Jablonka
Keyword(s):  
Star Formation ◽  
Local Group ◽  
Dwarf Galaxies ◽  
Mass Scale ◽  
Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Dynamical Simulations ◽  
Ursa Minor ◽  
Stellar Properties ◽  
Star Formation Histories

We present the results of a set of high-resolution chemo-dynamical simulations of dwarf galaxies in a ΛCDM cosmology. Out of an original (3.4 Mpc/h)3 cosmological box, a sample of 27 systems are re-simulated from z = 70 to z = 0 using a zoom-in technique. Gas and stellar properties are confronted to the observations in the greatest details: in addition to the galaxy global properties, we investigated the model galaxy velocity dispersion profiles, half-light radii, star formation histories, stellar metallicity distributions, and [Mg/Fe] abundance ratios. The formation and sustainability of the metallicity gradients and kinematically distinct stellar populations are also tackled. We show how the properties of six Local Group dwarf galaxies, NGC 6622, Andromeda II, Sculptor, Sextans, Ursa Minor and Draco are reproduced, and how they pertain to three main galaxy build-up modes. Our results indicate that the interaction with a massive central galaxy could be needed for a handful of Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies only, the vast majority of the systems and their variety of star formation histories arising naturally from a ΛCDM framework. We find that models fitting well the local Group dwarf galaxies are embedded in dark haloes of mass between 5 × 108 to a few 109 M⊙, without any missing satellite problem. We confirm the failure of the abundance matching approach at the mass scale of dwarf galaxies. Some of the observed faint however gas-rich galaxies with residual star formation, such as Leo T and Leo P, remain challenging. They point out the need of a better understanding of the UV-background heating.

scholarly journals The formation and early evolution of the Milky Way

1985 ◽  
Vol 106 ◽  
pp. 603-610
Author(s):  
S. Michael Fall
Keyword(s):  
Galaxy Formation ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Chemical Compositions ◽  
Fundamental Plane ◽  
Recombination Radiation ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Comprehensive Picture ◽  
Broad Outline ◽  
Kinematic Properties ◽  
Collapse Phase

In broad outline, the traditional picture for the formation of the Milky Way can be summarized as follows. The proto-galaxy consisted of a slowly rotating cloud of metal-free gas that cooled by bremsstrahlung and recombination radiation. As the internal pressure of the gas decreased, it collapsed in stages with smaller dimensions, faster rotation velocities and flatter shapes until it reached centrifugal support in a fundamental plane. At the same time, the gas was progressively depleted by the formation of stars and enriched with heavy elements by the ejecta from previous generations. The result is a general correlation between the kinematic properties, chemical compositions and relative ages of the stellar populations within the Galaxy. This picture was formulated at the Vatican symposium by Oort (1958) and others and was elaborated by Eggen, Lynden-Bell & Sandage (1962), Sandage, Freeman & Stokes (1970), Gott & Thuan (1976), Larson (1976) and others. Much of the recent work on galaxy formation has been an attempt to extend these ideas to a more comprehensive picture that includes large quantities of dark matter. The purpose of this article is to review several topics concerning the collapse phase in the evolution of the Milky Way.

scholarly journals Weighing the stellar constituents of the galactic halo with APOGEE red giant stars

2020 ◽  
Vol 492 (3) ◽  
pp. 3631-3646 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Ted Mackereth ◽  
Jo Bovy
Keyword(s):  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Halo ◽  
Power Laws ◽  
Stellar Mass ◽  
Giant Star ◽  
Giant Stars ◽  
Stellar Halo ◽  
Tentative Evidence ◽  
History Of ◽  
Red Giant

ABSTRACT The stellar mass in the halo of the Milky Way is notoriously difficult to determine, owing to the paucity of its stars in the solar neighbourhood. With tentative evidence from Gaia that the nearby stellar halo is dominated by a massive accretion event – referred to as Gaia-Enceladus or Sausage – these constraints are now increasingly urgent. We measure the mass in kinematically selected mono-abundance populations (MAPs) of the stellar halo between −3 < [Fe/H] < −1 and 0.0 < [Mg/Fe] < 0.4 using red giant star counts from APOGEE DR14. We find that MAPs are well fit by single power laws on triaxial ellipsoidal surfaces, and we show that that the power-law slope α changes such that high [Mg/Fe] populations have α ∼ 4, whereas low [Mg/Fe] MAPs are more extended with shallow slopes, α ∼ 2. We estimate the total stellar mass to be $M_{*,\mathrm{tot}} = 1.3^{+0.3}_{-0.2}\times 10^{9}\ \mathrm{M_{\odot}}$, of which we estimate ${\sim}0.9^{+0.2}_{-0.1} \times 10^{9}\ \mathrm{M_{\odot}}$ to be accreted. We estimate that the mass of accreted stars with e > 0.7 is M*,accreted, e > 0.7 = 3 ± 1 (stat.) ± 1 (syst.) × 108 M⊙, or ${\sim}30{-}50{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ of the accreted halo mass. If the majority of these stars are the progeny of a massive accreted dwarf, this places an upper limit on its stellar mass, and implies a halo mass for the progenitor of ∼1010.2 ± 0.2 M⊙. This constraint not only shows that the Gaia-Enceladus/Sausage progenitor may not be as massive as originally suggested, but that the majority of the Milky Way stellar halo was accreted. These measurements are an important step towards fully reconstructing the assembly history of the Milky Way.

scholarly journals Neutron-capture elements in dwarf galaxies

2019 ◽  
Vol 631 ◽  
pp. A171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Á. Skúladóttir ◽  
C. J. Hansen ◽  
S. Salvadori ◽  
A. Choplin
Keyword(s):  
Neutron Capture ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Dwarf Galaxies ◽  
Core Collapse ◽  
Chemical Abundances ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
History Of ◽  
Red Giant ◽  
Process Element ◽  
Giant Branch Stars

The heavy elements (Z >  30) are created in neutron (n)-capture processes that are predicted to happen at vastly different nucleosynthetic sites. To study these processes in an environment different from the Milky Way, we targeted the n-capture elements in red giant branch stars in the Sculptor dwarf spheroidal galaxy. Using ESO VLT/FLAMES spectra, we measured the chemical abundances of Y, Ba, La, Nd, and Eu in 98 stars covering the metalliticy range −2.4 < [Fe/H] < −0.9. This is the first paper in a series about the n-capture elements in dwarf galaxies, and here we focus on the relative and absolute timescales of the slow (s)- and rapid (r)-processes in Sculptor. From the abundances of the s-process element Ba and the r-process element Eu, it is clear that the r-process enrichment occurred throughout the entire chemical evolution history of Sculptor. Furthermore, there is no evidence for the r-process to be significantly delayed in time relative to core-collapse supernovae. Neutron star mergers are therefore unlikely the dominant (or only) nucleosynthetic site of the r-process. However, the products of the s-process only become apparent at [Fe/H] ≈ −2 in Sculptor, and the s-process becomes the dominant source of Ba at [Fe/H] ≳ −2. We tested the use of [Y/Mg] and [Ba/Mg] as chemical clocks in Sculptor. Similarly to what is observed in the Milky Way, [Y/Mg] and [Ba/Mg] increase towards younger ages. However, there is an offset in the trends, where the abundance ratios of [Y/Mg] in Sculptor are significantly lower than those of the Milky Way at any given age. This is most likely caused by metallicity dependence of yields from the s-process, as well as by a different relative contribution of the s-process to core-collapse supernovae in these galaxies. Comparisons of our results with data of the Milky Way and the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy furthermore show that these chemical clocks depend on both metallicity and environment.

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