We compare the star-forming properties of satellites around Milky Way (MW) analogs from the Stage~II release of the Satellites Around Galactic Analogs Survey (SAGA-II) to those from the APOSTLE and Auriga cosmological zoom-in simulation suites. We us
e archival GALEX UV imaging as a star-formation indicator for the SAGA-II sample and derive star-formation rates (SFRs) to compare with those from APOSTLE and Auriga. We compare our detection rates from the NUV and FUV bands to the SAGA-II H$alpha$ detections and find that they are broadly consistent with over $85%$ of observed satellites detected in all three tracers. We apply the same spatial selection criteria used around SAGA-II hosts to select satellites around the MW-like hosts in APOSTLE and Auriga. We find very good overall agreement in the derived SFRs for the star-forming satellites as well as the number of star-forming satellites per host in observed and simulated samples. However, the number and fraction of quenched satellites in the SAGA-II sample are significantly lower than those in APOSTLE and Auriga below a stellar mass of $M_*sim10^{8},M_{odot}$, even when the SAGA-II incompleteness and interloper corrections are included. This discrepancy is robust with respect to the resolution of the simulations and persists when alternative star-formation tracers are employed. We posit that this disagreement is not readily explained by vagaries in the observed or simulated samples considered here, suggesting a genuine discrepancy that may inform the physics of satellite populations around MW analogs.
The search for emission from weakly interacting massive particle (WIMP) dark matter annihilation and decay has become a multi-pronged area of research not only targeting a diverse selection of astrophysical objects, but also taking advantage of the e
ntire electromagnetic spectrum. The decay of WIMP particles into standard model particles has been suggested as a possible channel for synchrotron emission to be detected at low radio frequencies. Here, we present the stacking analysis of a sample of 33 dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies with low-frequency (72 - 231 MHz) radio images from the GaLactic and Extragalactic All-sky Murchison Widefield Array (GLEAM) survey. We produce radial surface brightness profiles of images centred upon each dSph galaxy with background radio sources masked. We remove ten fields from the stacking due to contamination from either poorly subtracted, bright radio sources or strong background gradients across the field. The remaining 23 dSph galaxies are stacked in an attempt to obtain a statistical detection of any WIMP-induced synchrotron emission in these systems. We find that the stacked radial brightness profile does not exhibit a statistically significant detection above the 95% confidence level of $sim$1.5 mJy beam$^{-1}$. This novel technique shows the potential of using low-frequency radio images to constrain fundamental properties of particle dark matter.
We present atomic hydrogen (HI) observations using the Robert C. Byrd Green Bank Telescope along the lines-of-sight to 27 low surface brightness (LSB) dwarf galaxy candidates discovered in optical searches around M101. We detect HI reservoirs in 5 ta
rgets and place stringent upper limits on the remaining 22, implying that they are gas poor. The distances to our HI detections range from 7 Mpc --150 Mpc, demonstrating the utility of wide-bandpass HI observations as a follow-up tool. The systemic velocities of 3 detections are consistent with that of the NGC~5485 group behind M101, and we suggest that our 15 non-detections with lower distance limits from the optical are associated with and have been stripped by that group. We find that the gas richnesses of confirmed M101 satellites are broadly consistent with those of the Milky Way satellites, as well as with those of satellites around other hosts of comparable mass, when survey completeness is taken into account. This suggests that satellite quenching and gas stripping proceeds similarly around halos of similar mass, in line with theoretical expectations.
This white paper submitted for the 2020 Canadian Long-Range Planning process (LRP2020) presents the prospects for Canada and the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) from 2020-2030, focussing on the first phase of the project (SKA1) scheduled to begin constr
uction early in the next decade. SKA1 will make transformational advances in our understanding of the Universe across a wide range of fields, and Canadians are poised to play leadership roles in several. Canadian key SKA technologies will ensure a good return on capital investment in addition to strong scientific returns, positioning Canadian astronomy for future opportunities well beyond 2030. We therefore advocate for Canadas continued scientific and technological engagement in the SKA from 2020-2030 through participation in the construction and operations phases of SKA1.
We have found the atomic gas (HI) reservoirs of the blue ultra diffuse galaxy (UDG) candidates identified by Roman and Trujillo in images near Hickson Compact Groups (HCGs). We confirm that all of the objects are indeed UDGs with effective radii R_e
> 1.5 kpc. Three of them are likely to be gravitationally bound to the HCG near which they project, one is plausibly gravitationally bound to the nearest HCG, and one is in the background. We measure HI masses and velocity widths for each object directly from the spectra, and use the widths together with the UDG effective radii to estimate dynamical masses and halo spin parameters. The location of the blue UDGs in the HI mass - stellar mass plane is consistent with that of the broader gas-rich galaxy population, and both their HI masses and gas richnesses are correlated with their effective radii. The blue UDGs appear to be low-mass objects with high-spin halos, although their properties are not as extreme as those of the faintest diffuse objects found in HI searches. The data presented here highlight the potential of single-dish radio observations for measuring the physical properties of blue diffuse objects detected in the optical.
We present resolved HI and CO observations of three galaxies from the HIghMass sample, a sample of HI-massive ($M_{HI} > 10^{10} M_odot$), gas-rich ($M_{HI}$ in top $5%$ for their $M_*$) galaxies identified in the ALFALFA survey. Despite their high g
as fractions, these are not low surface brightness galaxies, and have typical specific star formation rates (SFR$/M_*$) for their stellar masses. The three galaxies have normal star formation rates for their HI masses, but unusually short star formation efficiency scale lengths, indicating that the star formation bottleneck in these galaxies is in the conversion of HI to H$_2$, not in converting H$_2$ to stars. In addition, their dark matter spin parameters ($lambda$) are above average, but not exceptionally high, suggesting that their star formation has been suppressed over cosmic time but are now becoming active, in agreement with prior H$alpha$ observations.
We present a disc-halo N-body model of the low surface brightness galaxy UGC 628, one of the few systems that harbours a slow bar with a ratio of corotation radius to bar length of $mathcal{R} equiv R_c/a_b sim 2$. We select our initial conditions us
ing SDSS DR10 photometry, a physically motivated radially variable mass-to-light ratio profile, and rotation curve data from the literature. A global bar instability grows in our submaximal disc model, and the disc morphology and dynamics agree broadly with the photometry and kinematics of UGC 628 at times between peak bar strength and the onset of buckling. Prior to bar formation, the disc and halo contribute roughly equally to the potential in the galaxys inner region, giving the disc enough self gravity for bar modes to grow. After bar formation there is significant mass redistribution, creating a baryon dominated inner and dark matter dominated outer disc. This implies that, unlike most other low surface brightness galaxies, UGC 628 is not dark matter dominated everywhere. Our model nonetheless implies that UGC 628 falls on same the relationship between dark matter fraction and rotation velocity found for high surface brightness galaxies, and lends credence to the argument that the disc mass fraction measured at the location where its contribution to the potential peaks is not a reliable indicator of its dynamical importance at all radii.
