scholarly journals New constraints on the structure of the nuclear stellar cluster of the Milky Way from star counts and MIR imaging

2020 ◽  
Vol 634 ◽  
pp. A71 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Gallego-Cano ◽  
R. Schödel ◽  
F. Nogueras-Lara ◽  
H. Dong ◽  
B. Shahzamanian ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Optics ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
3D Structure ◽  
Major Axis ◽  
Stellar Disk ◽  
Axis Ratio ◽  
Stellar Cluster ◽  
Red Clump

Context. The Milky Way nuclear star cluster (MWNSC) is a crucial laboratory for studying the galactic nuclei of other galaxies, but its properties have not been determined unambiguously until now. Aims. We aim to study the size and spatial structure of the MWNSC. Methods. This study uses data and methods that address potential shortcomings of previous studies on the topic. We use 0.2″ angular resolution Ks data to create a stellar density map in the central 86.4 pc × 21 pc at the Galactic center. We include data from selected adaptive-optics-assisted images obtained for the inner parsecs. In addition, we use Spitzer/IRAC mid-infrared (MIR) images. We model the Galactic bulge and the nuclear stellar disk in order to subtract them from the MWNSC. Finally, we fit a Sérsic model to the MWNSC and investigate its symmetry. Results. Our results are consistent with previous work. The MWNSC is flattened with an axis ratio of q = 0.71 ± 0.10, an effective radius of Re = (5.1 ± 1.0) pc, and a Sérsic index of n = 2.2 ± 0.7. Its major axis may be tilted out of the Galactic plane by up to −10°. The distribution of the giants brighter than the Red Clump (RC) is found to be significantly flatter than the distribution of the faint stars. We investigate the 3D structure of the central stellar cusp using our results on the MWNSC structure on large scales to constrain the deprojection of the measured stellar surface number density, obtaining a value of the 3D inner power law of γ = 1.38 ± 0.06sys ± 0.01stat. Conclusions. The MWNSC shares its main properties with other extragalactic NSCs found in spiral galaxies. The differences in the structure between bright giants and RC stars might be related to the existence of not completely mixed populations of different ages. This may hint at recent growth of the MWNSC through star formation or cluster accretion.

scholarly journals The last breath of the Sagittarius dSph

2020 ◽  
Vol 497 (4) ◽  
pp. 4162-4182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eugene Vasiliev ◽  
Vasily Belokurov
Keyword(s):  
Milky Way ◽  
Dwarf Galaxy ◽  
3D Structure ◽  
Major Axis ◽  
Final State ◽  
Tidal Forces ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Red Clump ◽  
Astrometric Data

ABSTRACT We use the astrometric and photometric data from Gaia Data Release 2 and line-of-sight velocities from various other surveys to study the 3D structure and kinematics of the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy. The combination of photometric and astrometric data makes it possible to obtain a very clean separation of Sgr member stars from the Milky Way foreground; our final catalogue contains 2.6 × 105 candidate members with magnitudes G < 18, more than half of them being red clump stars. We construct and analyse maps of the mean proper motion and its dispersion over the region ∼30 × 12 deg, which show a number of interesting features. The intrinsic 3D density distribution (orientation, thickness) is strongly constrained by kinematics; we find that the remnant is a prolate structure with the major axis pointing at ∼45° from the orbital velocity and extending up to ∼5 kpc, where it transitions into the stream. We perform a large suite of N-body simulations of a disrupting Sgr galaxy as it orbits the Milky Way over the past 2.5 Gyr, which are tailored to reproduce the observed properties of the remnant (not the stream). The richness of available constraints means that only a narrow range of parameters produce a final state consistent with observations. The total mass of the remnant is $\sim \!4\times 10^8\, \mathrm{M}_\odot$, of which roughly a quarter resides in stars. The galaxy is significantly out of equilibrium, and even its central density is below the limit required to withstand tidal forces. We conclude that the Sgr galaxy will likely be disrupted over the next Gyr.

scholarly journals The structure of the nuclear stellar cluster of the Milky Way

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (S238) ◽  
pp. 187-190
Author(s):  
Rainer Schödel ◽  
Andreas Eckart
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Optics ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Interstellar Extinction ◽  
Intermediate Band ◽  
Stellar Cluster ◽  
Density Peaks ◽  
Mass Segregation ◽  
Sgr A ◽  
Number Counts

AbstractHigh-resolution adaptive optics observations of the inner 0.5 pc of the Milky Way with multiple intermediate band filters are presented. From the images, stellar number counts and a detailed map of the interstellar extinction were extracted. The extinction map is consistent with a putative southwest-northeast aligned outflow from the central arcseconds.An azimuthally averaged, crowding and extinction corrected stellar density profile presents clear evidence for the existence of a stellar cusp around Sgr A*. Several density peaks are found in the cluster that may indicate clumping of stars, possibly related to the last epoch of star formation in the Galactic Center. An analysis of stars in the brightness range 14.25 < magK < 15.75 shows possible signs of mass segregation.

scholarly journals The impact of inelastic self-interacting dark matter on the dark matter structure of a Milky Way halo

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Ting Eddie Chua ◽  
Karia Dibert ◽  
Mark Vogelsberger ◽  
Jesús Zavala
Keyword(s):  
Dark Matter ◽  
High Speed ◽  
Cold Dark Matter ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Direct Detection ◽  
Major Axis ◽  
Inelastic Collisions ◽  
Axis Ratio ◽  
Lower Velocity ◽  
The Impact

Abstract We study the effects of inelastic dark matter self-interactions on the internal structure of a simulated Milky Way (MW)-size halo. Self-interacting dark matter (SIDM) is an alternative to collisionless cold dark matter (CDM) which offers a unique solution to the problems encountered with CDM on sub-galactic scales. Although previous SIDM simulations have mainly considered elastic collisions, theoretical considerations motivate the existence of multi-state dark matter where transitions from the excited to the ground state are exothermic. In this work, we consider a self-interacting, two-state dark matter model with inelastic collisions, implemented in the Arepo code. We find that energy injection from inelastic self-interactions reduces the central density of the MW halo in a shorter timescale relative to the elastic scale, resulting in a larger core size. Inelastic collisions also isotropize the orbits, resulting in an overall lower velocity anisotropy for the inelastic MW halo. In the inner halo, the inelastic SIDM case (minor-to-major axis ratio s ≡ c/a ≈ 0.65) is more spherical than the CDM (s ≈ 0.4), but less spherical than the elastic SIDM case (s ≈ 0.75). The speed distribution f(v) of dark matter particles at the location of the Sun in the inelastic SIDM model shows a significant departure from the CDM model, with f(v) falling more steeply at high speeds. In addition, the velocity kicks imparted during inelastic collisions produce unbound high-speed particles with velocities up to 500 km s−1 throughout the halo. This implies that inelastic SIDM can potentially leave distinct signatures in direct detection experiments, relative to elastic SIDM and CDM.

scholarly journals Remarkable Symmetries in the Milky Way Disc's Magnetic Field

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 171-176 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. P. Kronberg ◽  
K. J. Newton-McGee
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Structure ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
Galactic Disk ◽  
Field Structure ◽  
Field Pattern ◽  
Close Coupling ◽  
Sign Change

AbstractWe apply a new, expanded compilation of extragalactic source Faraday rotation measures (RM) to investigate the broad underlying magnetic structure of the Galactic disk at latitudes ∣b∣ ≲15° over all longitudes l, where our total number of RMs is comparable to those in the combined Canadian Galactic Plane Survey (CGPS) at ∣b∣ < 4° and the Southern Galactic Plane (SGPS) ∣b∣<1.5°. We report newly revealed, remarkably coherent patterns of RM at ∣b∣≲15° from l∼270° to ∼90° and RM(l) features of unprecedented clarity that replicate in l with opposite sign on opposite sides of the Galactic center. They confirm a highly patterned bisymmetric field structure toward the inner disc, an axisymmetic pattern toward the outer disc, and a very close coupling between the CGPS/SGPS RMs at ∣b∣≲3° (‘mid-plane’) and our new RMs up to ∣b∣∼15° (‘near-plane’). Our analysis also shows the vertical height of the coherent component of the disc field above the Galactic disc's mid-plane—to be ∼1.5 kpc out to ∼6 kpc from the Sun. This identifies the approximate height of a transition layer to the halo field structure. We find no RM sign change across the plane within ∣b∣∼15° in any longitude range. The prevailing disc field pattern and its striking degree of large-scale ordering confirm that our side of the Milky Way has a very organized underlying magnetic structure, for which the inward spiral pitch angle is 5.5°±1° at all ∣b∣ up to ∼12° in the inner semicircle of Galactic longitudes. It decreases to ∼0° toward the anticentre.

scholarly journals An Overview of the Globular Cluster System of the Galaxy

1988 ◽  
Vol 126 ◽  
pp. 37-48
Author(s):  
Robert Zinn
Keyword(s):  
Globular Cluster ◽  
Globular Clusters ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
Cluster System ◽  
Open Clusters ◽  
The Galaxy ◽  
Globular Cluster System ◽  
Harlow Shapley

Harlow Shapley (1918) used the positions of globular clusters in space to determine the dimensions of our Galaxy. His conclusion that the Sun does not lie near the center of the Galaxy is widely recognized as one of the most important astronomical discoveries of this century. Nearly as important, but much less publicized, was his realization that, unlike stars, open clusters, HII regions and planetary nebulae, globular clusters are not concentrated near the plane of the Milky Way. His data showed that the globular clusters are distributed over very large distances from the galactic plane and the galactic center. Ever since this discovery that the Galaxy has a vast halo containing globular clusters, it has been clear that these clusters are key objects for probing the evolution of the Galaxy. Later work, which showed that globular clusters are very old and, on average, very metal poor, underscored their importance. In the spirit of this research, which started with Shapley's, this review discusses the characteristics of the globular cluster system that have the most bearing on the evolution of the Galaxy.

scholarly journals Infrared Imaging of the Arches Cluster - Adaptive Optics in the Densest Region of the Milky Way

2002 ◽  
Vol 207 ◽  
pp. 132-134
Author(s):  
Andrea Stolte ◽  
Eva K. Grebel ◽  
Wolfgang Brandner ◽  
Donald F. Figer
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Optics ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Infrared Imaging ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Cluster Formation ◽  
Extreme Environment ◽  
Mass Function ◽  
Cluster Center ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Dense Cluster

The Arches cluster - located only 11′ from the Galactic Center (GC) - is one of the densest and richest young star clusters in the Milky Way. With an age of only about 2 Myr, it is ideally suited to study massive cluster formation in an extreme environment. We find an IMF slope of Γ = −0.77 from 5 to 100 M⊙, in good agreement with the results from HST/NICMOS from Figer et al. (1999). The limiting factor in the dense cluster center is crowding. With the new AO systems, high resolution analysis of the dense cluster region combined with very deep infrared photometry is available. We have analysed deep H and K′ images of the cluster center obtained with the GEMINI/Hokupa'a adaptive optics system. Colour-magnitude diagrams and the IMF are constructed from these data. A comparison with isochrones yields the mass function.

scholarly journals The central velocity dispersion of the Milky Way bulge

2018 ◽  
Vol 616 ◽  
pp. A83 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Valenti ◽  
M. Zoccali ◽  
A. Mucciarelli ◽  
O. A. Gonzalez ◽  
F. Surot ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Monte Carlo Simulations ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Velocity Dispersion ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
Signal To Noise Ratio ◽  
Dwarf Stars ◽  
Stellar Spectra ◽  
Noise Characteristics

Context. Current spectroscopic and photometric surveys are providing a comprehensive view of the Milky Way bulge stellar population properties with unprecedented accuracy. This in turn allows us to explore the correlation between kinematics and stellar density distribution, crucial to constrain the models of Galactic bulge formation. Aims. The Giraffe Inner Bulge Survey (GIBS) revealed the presence of a velocity dispersion peak in the central few degrees of the Galaxy by consistently measuring high velocity dispersion in the three central most fields. Due to the suboptimal distribution of these fields, all being at negative latitudes and close to each other, the shape and extension of the sigma peak is poorly constrained. In this study we address this by adding new observations distributed more uniformly and in particular including fields at positive latitudes that were missing in GIBS. Methods. Observations with Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) were collected in four fields at (l, b) = (0°, +2°), (0°, −2°), (+1°, −1°), and (−1°, +2°). Individual stellar spectra were extracted for a number of stars comprised between ~500 and ~1200, depending on the seeing and the exposure time. Velocity measurements are done by cross-correlating observed stellar spectra in the CaT region with a synthetic template, and velocity errors are obtained through Monte Carlo simulations, cross-correlating synthetic spectra with a range of different metallicities and different noise characteristics. Results. We measure the central velocity dispersion peak within a projected distance from the Galactic center of ~280 pc, reaching σVGC ~ 140 km s−1 at b = −1°. This is in agreement with the results obtained previously by GIBS at negative longitude. The central sigma peak is symmetric with respect to the Galactic plane, with a longitude extension at least as narrow as predicted by GIBS. As a result of the Monte Carlo simulations we present analytical equations for the radial velocity measurement error as a function of metallicity and signal-to-noise ratio for giant and dwarf stars.

Kinematics of the Milky Way Thick disk in solar neighborhood

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Vieira ◽  
V. Korchagin ◽  
A. Lutsenko
Keyword(s):  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Plane ◽  
Thick Disk ◽  
Solar Neighborhood ◽  
Stellar Disk ◽  
The Sun ◽  
Complete Sample ◽  
Two Component ◽  
Thick Disks ◽  
Red Giant

Using GAIA EDR3 catalog, we present the detailed analysis of the two-component Milky Way stellar disk in the solar neighborhood. To determine the kinematical properties of the thin and of the Thick disks, we select the complete sample of about 278,000 evolved red giant branch (RGB) stars distributed in the cylinder of 1 kpc radius and 0.5 kpc height centered at the Sun. We measured the following mean velocities and dispersions for the thin and the Thick disks, respectively: [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]km s[Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]km s[Formula: see text], and [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]km s[Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]km s[Formula: see text]. Errors in mean velocities and dispersions are all less than 1[Formula: see text]km s[Formula: see text]. Same values were computed on much smaller subsamples of our Gaia data with RAVE DR5 [Fe/H] values, from which a metallicity selection was added. Results are basically the same. We find that up to 500 pc height above/below the galactic plane, Thick disk stars comprise about half the stars of the disk. We also find evidence of a substructure in [Formula: see text] versus [Formula: see text] in the thick disk population mostly that would give support to the accretion scenario for the formation of the thick disk.

scholarly journals Proper motions of thin filaments at the Galactic Center

2006 ◽  
Vol 2 (S238) ◽  
pp. 415-416
Author(s):  
K. Mužić ◽  
A. Eckart ◽  
R. Schödel ◽  
L. Meyer ◽  
A. Zensus
Keyword(s):  
Adaptive Optics ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Proper Motions ◽  
Thin Filaments ◽  
Motion Study ◽  
L Band ◽  
Central Parsec ◽  
Stellar Envelopes ◽  
Shock Fronts

AbstractWe present the proper motion study of the thin filaments observed in L'-band (3.8 μm) adaptive optics images of the central parsec of the Milky Way. Observed filaments are associated with the mini-spiral and, in some cases, with stars. They can be interpreted as shock fronts formed by the interaction of a central wind with the mini-spiral or extended dusty stellar envelopes.

scholarly journals Constraining the Variability and Binary Fraction of Galactic Center Young Stars

2016 ◽  
Vol 11 (S322) ◽  
pp. 237-238
Author(s):  
Abhimat K. Gautam ◽  
Tuan Do ◽  
Andrea M. Ghez ◽  
Jessica R. Lu ◽  
Mark R. Morris ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Monte Carlo ◽  
Adaptive Optics ◽  
Binary Systems ◽  
Main Sequence ◽  
Milky Way ◽  
Galactic Center ◽  
Young Stars ◽  
Early Type ◽  
Eclipsing Binary ◽  
Early Type Stars

AbstractWe present constraints on the variability and binarity of young stars in the central 10 arcseconds (~ 0.4 pc) of the Milky Way Galactic Center (GC) using Keck Adaptive Optics data over a 12 year baseline. Given our experiment’s photometric uncertainties, at least 36% of our sample’s known early-type stars are variable. We identified eclipsing binary systems by searching for periodic variability. In our sample of spectroscopically confirmed and likely early-type stars, we detected the two previously discovered GC eclipsing binary systems. We derived the likely binary fraction of main sequence, early-type stars at the GC via Monte Carlo simulations of eclipsing binary systems, and find that it is at least 32% with 90% confidence.

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