arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Elena D'Onghia.
This is a brief rebuttal to arXiv:1502.03821, which claims to provide the first observational proof of dark matter interior to the solar circle. We point out that this result is not new, and can be traced back at least a quarter century.
We report the discovery of a giant stellar tidal stream in the halo of NGC 4631, a nearby edge-on spiral galaxy interacting with the spiral NGC 4656, in deep images taken with a 40-cm aperture robotic telescope. The stream has two components: a bridge-like feature extended between NGC 4631 and NGC 4656 (stream_SE) and an overdensity with extended features on the opposite side of the NGC 4631 disk (stream_NW). Together, these features extend more than 85 kpc and display a clear (g-r) colour gradient. The orientation of stream_SE relative to the orientations of NGC 4631 and NGC 4656 is not consistent with an origin from interaction between these two spirals, and is more likely debris from a satellite encounter. The stellar tidal features can be qualitatively reproduced in an N-body model of the tidal disruption of a single, massive dwarf satellite on a moderately eccentric orbit (e=0.6) around NGC 4631 over $\sim$ 3.5 Gyr, with a dynamical mass ratio (m1:m2) of ~40. Both modelling and inferences from the morphology of the streams indicate these are not associated with the complex HI tidal features observed between both spirals, which likely originate from a more recent, gas-rich accretion event. The detailed structure of stream_NW suggests it may contain the progenitor of the stream, in agreement with the N-body model. In addition, stream_NW is roughly aligned with two very faint dwarf spheroidal candidates. The system of dwarf galaxies and the tidal stream around NGC 4631 can provide an additional interesting case for exploring the anisotropy distribution of satellite galaxies recently reported in Local Group spiral galaxies by means of future follow-up observations.
We study the radial migration of stars driven by recurring multi-arm spiral features in an exponential disk embedded in a dark matter halo. The spiral perturbations redistribute angular momentum within the disk and lead to substantial radial displacements of individual stars, in a manner that largely preserves the circularity of their orbits and that results, after 5 Gyr (~40 full rotations at the disk scalelength), in little radial heating and no appreciable changes to the vertical or radial structure of the disk. Our results clarify a number of issues related to the spatial distribution and kinematics of migrators. In particular, we find that migrators are a heavily biased subset of stars with preferentially low vertical velocity dispersions. This "provenance bias" for migrators is not surprising in hindsight, for stars with small vertical excursions spend more time near the disk plane and thus respond more readily to non-axisymmetric perturbations. We also find that the vertical velocity dispersion of outward migrators always decreases, whereas the opposite holds for inward migrators. To first order, newly arrived migrators simply replace stars that have migrated off to other radii, thus inheriting the vertical bias of the latter. Extreme migrators might therefore be recognized, if present, by the unexpectedly small amplitude of their vertical excursions. Our results show that migration, understood as changes in angular momentum that preserve circularity, can affect strongly the thin disk, but cast doubts on models that envision the Galactic thick disk as a relic of radial migration.
We have identified a low surface brightness stellar stream from visual inspection of SDSS imaging for the edge-on, spiral galaxy NGC5387. A blue overdensity was also identified in SDSS coincident with the stream intersection with the NGC5387 disk. The overdensity was also detected in the GALEX Deep Imaging Survey and found to contribute 38% of the total FUV integrated flux from NGC5387, which suggests that the region is actively forming stars. Deeper imaging was acquired with the Vatican Advanced Technology Telescope (VATT) in the B, V, and R filters that confirmed the presence of both the stellar stream and the blue overdensity. Analysis of the VATT photometry indicates the stellar stream is red in color, B-V = 0.7, and has a stellar mass of 6x10^8 M$_{\odot}$, which implies a merger ratio of 1:50. Assessment of the stream morphology suggests that the merger event has a circular radius, R~16 kpc, the stream formed in ~400 Myr, and the progenitor had a total mass of ~2x10 M$_{\odot}$. Spectroscopy from LBT+MODS1 was used to determine that the blue overdensity is at the same redshift as NGC5387, consists of young stellar populations (~10 Myr), is metal-poor (12 + log(O/H) = 8.03), and forming stars at an enhanced rate (~1-3 M$_{\odot}$/year) given its total stellar mass (2x10^7 M$_{\odot}$). Several interpretations are posited to explain these observational data, of which the most likely are (i) that the blue overdensity is a region of enhanced star formation in the outer disk of NGC5387 induced by the minor accretion event, and (ii) that the blue overdensity is the progenitor of the stellar stream undergoing a period of enhanced star formation as a result of its interaction with NGC5387. Confirmation and theoretical exploration of these scenarios are presented in a companion paper.
Recent observations have shown the presence of extra-solar planets in Galactic open stellar clusters, as in the Praesepe (M44). These systems provide a favorable environment for planetary formation due to the high heavy-element content exhibited by the majority of their population. The large stellar density, and corresponding high close-encounter event rate, may induce strong perturbations of planetary orbits with large semimajor axes. Here we present a set of N-body simulations implementing a novel scheme to treat the tidal effects of external stellar perturbers on planetary orbit eccentricity and inclination. By simulating five nearby open clusters we determine the rate of occurrence of bodies extracted from their parent stellar system by quasi-impulsive tidal interactions. We find that the specific free-floating planet production rate (total number of free-floating planets per unit of time, normalized by the total number of stars) is proportional to the stellar density of the cluster, with a constant of proportionality equal to (23 +/- 5)10^-6 pc^3 Myr^-1. For the Pleiades (M45) we predict that about 26% of stars should have lost their planets. This raises the exciting possibility of directly observing these wandering planets with the James Webb Space Telescope in the NIR band. Assuming a surface temperature of the planet of 500 K, a free-floating planet of Jupiter size inside the Pleiades would have a specific flux @4.4 micron of approximately 400 nJy, which would lead to a very clear detection (S/N of order 100) in only one hour of integration.
The causes of spiral structure in galaxies remain uncertain. Leaving aside the grand bisymmetric spirals with their own well-known complications, here we consider the possibility that multi-armed spiral features originate from density inhomogeneities orbiting within disks. Using high-resolution N-body simulations, we follow the motions of stars under the influence of gravity, and show that mass concentrations with properties similar to those of giant molecular clouds can induce the development of spiral arms through a process termed swing amplification. However, unlike in earlier work, we demonstrate that the eventual response of the disk can be highly non-linear, significantly modifying the formation and longevity of the resulting patterns. Contrary to expectations, ragged spiral structures can thus survive at least in a statistical sense long after the original perturbing influence has been removed.
When a spinning system experiences a transient gravitational encounter with an external perturber, a quasi-resonance occurs if the spin frequency of the victim matches the peak orbital frequency of the perturber. Such encounters are responsible for the formation of long tails and bridges of stars during galaxy collisions. For high-speed encounters, the resulting velocity perturbations can be described within the impulse approximation. The traditional impulse approximation, however, does not distinguish between prograde and retrograde encounters, and therefore completely misses the resonant response. Here, using perturbation theory, we compute the effects of quasi-resonant phenomena on stars orbiting within a disk. Explicit expressions are derived for the velocity and energy change to the stars induced by tidal forces from an external gravitational perturber passing either on a straight line or parabolic orbit. Comparisons with numerical restricted three-body calculations illustrate the applicability of our analysis.
We employ numerical simulations and simple analytical estimates to argue that dark matter substructures orbiting in the inner regions of the Galaxy can be efficiently destroyed by disk shocking, a dynamical process known to affect globular star clusters. We carry out a set of fiducial high-resolution collisionless simulations in which we adiabatically grow a disk, allowing us to examine the impact of the disk on the substructure abundance. We also track the orbits of dark matter satellites in the high-resolution Aquarius simulations and analytically estimate the cumulative halo and disk shocking effect. Our calculations indicate that the presence of a disk with only 10% of the total Milky Way mass can significantly alter the mass function of substructures in the inner parts of halos. This has important implications especially for the relatively small number of satellites seen within ~30 kpc of the Milky Way center, where disk shocking is expected to reduce the substructure abundance by a factor of ~2 at 10^9 M$_{\odot}$ and ~3 at 10^7 M$_{\odot}$. The most massive subhalos with 10^10 M$_{\odot}$ survive even in the presence of the disk. This suggests that there is no inner missing satellite problem, and calls into question whether these substructures can produce transient features in disks, like multi-armed spiral patterns. Also, the depletion of dark matter substructures through shocking on the baryonic structures of the disk and central bulge may aggravate the problem to fully account for the observed flux anomalies in gravitational lens systems, and significantly reduces the dark matter annihilation signal expected from nearby substructures in the inner halo.
Dwarf spheroidal galaxies are the most dark matter dominated systems in the nearby Universe and their origin is one of the outstanding puzzles of how galaxies form. Dwarf spheroidals are poor in gas and stars, making them unusually faint, and those known as ultra-faint dwarfs have by far the lowest measured stellar content of any galaxy. Previous theories require that dwarf spheroidals orbit near giant galaxies like the Milky Way, but some dwarfs have been observed in the outskirts of the Local Group. Here we report simulations of encounters between dwarf disk galaxies and somewhat larger objects. We find that the encounters excite a process, which we term ``resonant stripping'', that can transform them into dwarf spheroidals. This effect is distinct from other mechanisms proposed to form dwarf spheroidals, including mergers, galaxy-galaxy harassment, or tidal and ram pressure stripping, because it is driven by gravitational resonances. It may account for the observed properties of dwarf spheroidals in the Local Group, including their morphologies and kinematics. Resonant stripping predicts that dwarf spheroidals should form through encounters, leaving detectable long stellar streams and tails.
The Magellanic Clouds were the largest members of a group of dwarf galaxies that entered the Milky Way (MW) halo at late times. This group, dominated by the LMC, contained ~4% of the mass of the Milky Way prior to its accretion and tidal disruption, but ~70% of the known dwarfs orbiting the MW. Our theory addresses many outstanding problems in galaxy formation associated with dwarf galaxies. First, it can explain the planar orbital configuration populated by some dSphs in the MW. Second, it provides a mechanism for lighting up a subset of dwarf galaxies to reproduce the cumulative circular velocity distribution of the satellites in the MW. Finally, our model predicts that most dwarfs will be found in association with other dwarfs. The recent discovery of Leo V (Belokurov et al. 2008), a dwarf spheroidal companion of Leo IV, and the nearby dwarf associations supports our hypothesis.
We consider the possibility that the Magellanic Clouds were the largest members of a group of dwarf galaxies that entered the Milky Way (MW) halo at late times. Seven of the eleven brightest satellites of the MW may have been part of this system. The proximity of some dwarfs to the plane of the orbit of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) has been used to argue that they formed from tidal debris from the LMC and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC). Instead, they may owe to the tidal breakup of the Magellanic Group. This can explain the association of many of the dwarf galaxies in the Local Group with the LMC system. It provides a mechanism for lighting up dwarf galaxies and reproduces the bright end of the cumulative circular velocity distribution of the satellites in the MW without invoking a stripping scenario for the subhalos to match the satellite distribution expected according to CDM theory. Finally, our model predicts that other isolated dwarfs will be found to have companions. Evidence for this prediction is provided by nearby, recently discovered dwarf associations.
We use a numerical simulation of a loose group containing a Milky Way halo to probe that in the hierarchical universe the Magellanic Clouds and some dSphs have been accreted into the Milky Way halo from a late infalling group of dwarfs. Our simulations show that the tidal breakup of the Magellanic group occurs before it enters the Milky Way halo. Only half of the satellites contributed from the group are predicted to be inside the Milky Way virial radius. Half of its subhalos survive outside the current virial radius in the form of satellites, whereas the remaining material contributes to the diffuse Milky Way halo. At z~0 the disrupted group contributes less than 10% to the Milky Way halo mass but 20% of the brightest dwarf galaxies of the Milky Way have been part of this group. This scenario points out that some dSphs might have been form away from giant spirals and been accreted already as spheroids, by a late infall group in contrast with the classical picture of tidal stripping of dSph formation models. This would naturally explain several peculiarities of the local dSph: why Draco and the other luminous dSphs exist compared to other ultra-faint satellite galaxies, the location of Tucana and Cetus in the outskirts of the Local Group and the mismatch in metallicity between the stellar halo of the Milky Way and the dwarf galaxies that many have suspected dissolved to build it.
We investigate the origin and evolution of fossil groups in a concordance LCDM cosmological simulation. We consider haloes with masses between $(1-5)\times10^{13} \hMsun$ and study the physical mechanisms that lead to the formation of the large gap in magnitude between the brightest and the second most bright group member, which is typical for these fossil systems. Fossil groups are found to have high dark matter concentrations, which we can relate to their early formation time. The large magnitude-gaps arise after the groups have build up half of their final mass, due to merging of massive group members. We show that the existence of fossil systems is primarily driven by the relatively early infall of massive satellites, and that we do not find a strong environmental dependence for these systems. In addition, we find tentative evidence for fossil group satellites falling in on orbits with typically lower angular momentum, which might lead to a more efficient merger onto the host. We find a population of groups at higher redshifts that go through a ``fossil phase'': a stage where they show a large magnitude-gap, which is terminated by renewed infall from their environment.
We use a large cosmological N-body simulation to study the origin of possible correlations between the merging history and spin of cold dark matter halos. In particular, we examine claims that remnants of major mergers tend to have higher-than-average spins, and find that the effect is driven largely by unrelaxed systems: equilibrium dark matter halos show no significant correlation between spin and merger history. Out-of-equilibrium halos have, on average, higher spins than relaxed systems, suggesting that the virialization process leads to a net decrease in the value of the spin parameter. We find that this decrease is driven by the internal redistribution of mass and angular momentum that occurs during virialization, a process that is especially efficient during major mergers, when high angular momentum material is pushed beyond the virial radius of the remnant. Since such redistribution likely affects the angular momentum of baryons and dark matter unevenly, our findings question the common practice of identifying the specific angular momentum content of a halo with that of its embedded luminous component. Further work is needed to elucidate the true relation between the angular momentum content of baryons and dark matter in galaxy systems assembled hierarchically.
The importance of angular momentum in regulating the sizes of galactic disks and by this their star formation history is highlighted. Tidal torques and accretion of satellites in principle provide enough angular momentum to form disks with sizes that are in agreement with observations. However three major problems have been identified that challenge cold dark matter theory and affect models of galaxy evolution: (1) too much angular momentum is transferred from the gas to the dark halos during infall, leading to disks with scale lengths that are too small, (2) bulgeless disks require more specific angular momentum than is generated cosmologically even if gas would not lose angular momentum during infall, (3) gravitational torques and hierarchical merging produce a specific angular momentum distribution that does not match the distribution required to form exponential disks naturally; some gas has exceptionally high angular momentum, leading to extended outer disks while another large gas fraction will contain very little specific angular momentum and is expected to fall into the galactic center, forming a massive and dominant bulge component. Any self-consistent theory of galaxy formation will require to provide solutions to these questions. Selective mass loss of low-angular-momentum gas in an early phase of galaxy evolution currently seems to be the most promising scenario. Such a process would have a strong affect on the early protogalactic evolution phase, the origin and evolution of galactic morphologies and link central properties of galaxies like the origin of central massive black holes with their global structure.
The specific angular momentum of Cold Dark Matter (CDM) halos in a $Λ$CDM universe is investigated. Their dimensionless specific angular momentum $λ'=\frac{j}{\sqrt{2}V_{vir} R{vir}}$ with $V_{vir}$ and $R_{vir}$ the virial velocity and virial radius, respectively depends strongly on their merging histories. We investigate a set of $Λ$CDM simulations and explore the specific angular momentum content of halos formed through various merging histories. Halos with a quiet merging history, dominated by minor mergers and accretion until the present epoch, acquire by tidal torques on average only 2% to 3% of the angular momentum required for their rotational support ($λ'=0.02$). This is in conflict with observational data for a sample of late-type bulgeless galaxies which indicates that those galaxies reside in dark halos with exceptionally high values of $λ' \approx 0.06-0.07$. Minor mergers and accretion preserve or slowly increase the specific angular momentum of dark halos with time. This mechanism is however not efficient enough in order to explain the observed spin values for late-type dwarf galaxies. Energetic feedback processes have been invoked to solve the problem that gas loses a large fraction of its specific angular momentum during infall. Under the assumption that dark halos hosting bulgeless galaxies acquire their mass via quiescent accretion, our results indicate yet another serious problem: the specific angular momentum gained during the formation of these objects is not large enough to explain their observed rotational properties,even if no angular momentum would be lost during gas infall.
The Cold Dark Matter (CDM) theory predicts a wealth of substructure within dark halos. These predictions match observations of galaxy clusters like the nearby Virgo cluster. However, CDM has a "small scale crisis" since galaxies dominate the halo with little substructure while the model predicts that galaxies should be scaled versions of galaxy clusters with abundant substructure. Compared to CDM predictions, the Milky Way and Andromeda are "missing" objects with velocity dispersions $σ\geq 10$ km s$^{-1}$. The energy scale of these missing satellites is low enough that stellar winds and supernovae might remove gas and suppress the formation of their luminous stellar components. Here, we show that the small scale crisis persists in fossil groups that have masses of up to 40% of the nearby Virgo cluster of galaxies. Fossil groups are missing satellites with luminosities that occur at the predicted frequency in the Virgo cluster. Moreover, the "missing galaxies" in fossil groups are nearly as luminous as the Milky Way with a velocity dispersion $σ\leq$ 150 km s$^{-1}$.
Self-interacting dark matter was proposed by Spergel & Steinhardt (2000) to alleviate two conflicts between Cold Dark Matter (CDM) models and observations. Firstly, CDM N-body simulations predict dark matter halo density profiles that diverge at the centre in disagreement with the constant density cores observed in late-type dwarf and Low Surface Brightness (LSB) galaxies. Secondly, N-body simulations predict an overabundance of subhalos in the Galactic halo. Using a simple semi-analytical argument we show that weakly self-interacting dark matter models, which can produce halo cores of the sizes observed in dark matter dominated galaxies, are unable to reconcile the number of satellites in the Galactic halo with the observed number of dwarf galaxies in the Local Group.