Subscribe to the gold package and get unlimited access to Shamra Academy
Register a new userBayesian Mass Estimates of the Milky Way II: The dark and light sides of parameter assumptions
309
0
0.0
(
0
)
Ask ChatGPT about the research
No Arabic abstract
We present mass and mass profile estimates for the Milky Way Galaxy using the Bayesian analysis developed by Eadie et al (2015b) and using globular clusters (GCs) as tracers of the Galactic potential. The dark matter and GCs are assumed to follow different spatial distributions; we assume power-law model profiles and use the model distribution functions described in Evans et al. (1997); Deason et al (2011, 2012a). We explore the relationships between assumptions about model parameters and how these assumptions affect mass profile estimates. We also explore how using subsamples of the GC population beyond certain radii affect mass estimates. After exploring the posterior distributions of different parameter assumption scenarios, we conclude that a conservative estimate of the Galaxys mass within 125kpc is $5.22times10^{11} M_{odot}$, with a $50%$ probability region of $(4.79, 5.63) times10^{11} M_{odot}$. Extrapolating out to the virial radius, we obtain a virial mass for the Milky Way of $6.82times10^{11} M_{odot}$ with $50%$ credible region of $(6.06, 7.53) times 10^{11} M_{odot}$ ($r_{vir}=185^{+7}_{-7}$kpc). If we consider only the GCs beyond 10kpc, then the virial mass is $9.02~(5.69, 10.86) times 10^{11} M_{odot}$ ($r_{vir}=198^{+19}_{-24}$kpc). We also arrive at an estimate of the velocity anisotropy parameter $beta$ of the GC population, which is $beta=0.28$ with a $50%$ credible region (0.21, 0.35). Interestingly, the mass estimates are sensitive to both the dark matter halo potential and visible matter tracer parameters, but are not very sensitive to the anisotropy parameter.
rate research
Read More
We present a hierarchical Bayesian method for estimating the total mass and mass profile of the Milky Way Galaxy. The new hierarchical Bayesian approach further improves the framework presented by Eadie, Harris, & Widrow (2015) and Eadie & Harris (2016) and builds upon the preliminary reports by Eadie et al (2015a,c). The method uses a distribution function $f(mathcal{E},L)$ to model the galaxy and kinematic data from satellite objects such as globular clusters (GCs) to trace the Galaxys gravitational potential. A major advantage of the method is that it not only includes complete and incomplete data simultaneously in the analysis, but also incorporates measurement uncertainties in a coherent and meaningful way. We first test the hierarchical Bayesian framework, which includes measurement uncertainties, using the same data and power-law model assumed in Eadie & Harris (2016), and find the results are similar but more strongly constrained. Next, we take advantage of the new statistical framework and incorporate all possible GC data, finding a cumulative mass profile with Bayesian credible regions. This profile implies a mass within $125$kpc of $4.8times10^{11}M_{odot}$ with a 95% Bayesian credible region of $(4.0-5.8)times10^{11}M_{odot}$. Our results also provide estimates of the true specific energies of all the GCs. By comparing these estimated energies to the measured energies of GCs with complete velocity measurements, we observe that (the few) remote tracers with complete measurements may play a large role in determining a total mass estimate of the Galaxy. Thus, our study stresses the need for more remote tracers with complete velocity measurements.
It is increasingly apparent that common merger events play a large role in the evolution of disk galaxies at all cosmic times, from the wet accretion of gas-filled dwarf galaxies during the era of peak star formation, to the collisions between large, dynamically-advanced spiral galaxies and their dry companion satellites, a type of interaction that continues to influence disk structure into the present day. We also live in a large spiral galaxy currently undergoing a series of impacts from an infalling, disrupting dwarf galaxy. As next-generation astrometry proposes to place our understanding of the Milky Way spiral structure on a much firmer footing, we analyze high-resolution numerical models of this disk-satellite interaction in order to assess the dynamical response of our home Galaxy to the Sagittarius dwarf impact, and possible implications for experiments hoping to directly detect dark matter passing through the Earth.
The Milky Way provides an ideal laboratory to test our understanding of galaxy evolution, owing to our ability to observe our Galaxy over fine scales. However, connecting the Galaxy to the wider galaxy population remains difficult, due to the challenges posed by our internal perspective and to the different observational techniques employed. Here, we present a sample of galaxies identified as Milky Way Analogs (MWAs) on the basis of their stellar masses and bulge-to-total ratios, observed as part of the Mapping Nearby Galaxies at Apache Point Observatory (MaNGA) survey. We analyse the galaxies in terms of their stellar kinematics and populations as well as their ionised gas contents. We find our sample to contain generally young stellar populations in their outskirts. However, we find a wide range of stellar ages in their central regions, and we detect central AGN-like or composite-like activity in roughly half of the sample galaxies, with the other half consisting of galaxies with central star-forming emission or emission consistent with old stars. We measure gradients in gas metallicity and stellar metallicity that are generally flatter in physical units than those measured for the Milky Way; however, we find far better agreement with the Milky Way when scaling gradients by galaxies disc scale lengths. From this, we argue much of the discrepancy in metallicity gradients to be due to the relative compactness of the Milky Way, with differences in observing perspective also likely to be a factor.
We present new calculations of the mass inflow and outflow rates around the Milky Way, derived from a catalog of ultraviolet metal-line high velocity clouds (HVCs). These calculations are conducted by transforming the HVC velocities into the Galactic Standard of Rest (GSR) reference frame, identifying inflowing (v_GSR < 0 km/s) and outflowing (v_GSR > 0 km/s) populations, and using observational constraints on the distance, metallicity, dust content, covering fractions, and total hydrogen column density of each population. After removing HVCs associated with the Magellanic Stream and the Fermi Bubbles, we find inflow and outflow rates in cool (T~10^4 K) ionized gas of dM_in/dt >~ 0.53+/-0.17 (d/12 kpc) (Z/0.2 Z_sun)^-1 M_sun/yr and dM_out/dt >~ 0.16+/-0.06 (d/12 kpc) (Z/0.5 Z_sun)^-1 M_sun/yr. The excess of inflowing over outflowing gas suggests that the Milky Way is currently in an inflow-dominated phase, but the presence of substantial mass flux in both directions supports a Galactic fountain model, in which gas is constantly recycled between the disk and the halo. We also find that the metal flux in both directions (in and out) is indistinguishable. By comparing the outflow rate to the Galactic star formation rate, we present the first estimate of the mass loading factor (etc_HVC) of the disk-wide Milky Way wind, finding eta_HVC >~ 0.10+/-0.06 (d/12 kpc) (Z/0.5 Z_sun)^-1. Including the contributions from low- and intermediate-velocity clouds and from hot gas would increase these inflow and outflow estimates.
We analyse systems analogous to the Milky Way (MW) in the EAGLE cosmological hydrodynamics simulation in order to deduce the likely structure of the MWs dark matter halo. We identify MW-mass haloes in the simulation whose satellite galaxies have similar kinematics and spatial distribution to those of the bright satellites of the MW, specifically systems in which the majority of the satellites (8 out of 11) have nearly co-planar orbits that are also perpendicular to the central stellar disc. We find that the normal to the common orbital plane of the co-planar satellites is well aligned with the minor axis of the host dark matter halo, with a median misalignment angle of only $17.3^circ$. Based on this result, we infer that the minor axis of the Galactic dark matter halo points towards $(l,b)=(182^circ,-2^circ)$, with an angular uncertainty at the 68 and 95 percentile confidence levels of 22$^circ$ and 43$^circ$ respectively. Thus, the inferred minor axis of the MW halo lies in the plane of the stellar disc. The halo, however, is not homologous and its flattening and orientation vary with radius. The inner parts of the halo are rounder than the outer parts and well-aligned with the stellar disc (that is the minor axis of the halo is perpendicular to the disc). Further out, the halo twists and the minor axis changes direction by $90^circ$. This twist occurs over a very narrow radial range and reflects variations in the filamentary network along which mass was accreted into the MW.
Log in to be able to interact and post comments
comments
Fetching comments
Sign in to be able to follow your search criteria
