S5: Probing the Milky Way and Magellanic Clouds potentials with the 6-D map of the Orphan-Chenab stream

S5 Collaboration

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

We present a 6-D map of the Orphan-Chenab (OC) stream by combining the data from 5 years of Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey S5 observations with Gaia EDR3 data. We reconstruct the proper motion, radial velocity, distance and on-sky track of stream stars with spline models and extract the stellar density along the stream. The stream has a total luminosity of MV=−8.2 and an average metallicity of [Fe/H]=−1.9, similar to classical MW satellites like Draco. The stream shows drastic changes in its physical width varying from 200 pc to 1 kpc, a constant line of sight velocity dispersion of 5 km/s, but an increase in the velocity dispersion along the stream near pericenter to ∼ 10 km/s. Despite the large apparent variation in the stellar number density along the stream, the flow rate of stars along the stream is remarkably constant. We model the 6-D stream track by a Lagrange-point stripping method with a flexible MW potential in the presence of a moving extended LMC potential. This allows us to constrain the mass profile of the MW within the distance range 15.6 < r < 55.5 kpc, with the best measured enclosed mass of (2.85±0.1)×1011M⊙ within 32.4 kpc. With the OC stream's closest approach distance to the LMC of ∼21 kpc, our stream measurements are highly sensitive to the LMC mass profile with the most precise measurement of the LMC's enclosed mass being at 32.8 kpc with M=(7.02±0.9)×1010M⊙. We confidently detect that the LMC DM halo extends to at least 53 kpc. The fitting of the OC stream allows us to constrain the past LMC trajectory and the degree of dynamical friction it experienced. We demonstrate that the stars on the OC stream show large energy and angular momentum spreads caused by the LMC perturbation and revealing the limitations of orbital invariants for substructure identification in the MW halo.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)4936-4962
Number of pages27
JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume521
Issue number4
Early online date20 Feb 2023
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jun 2023

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • Galaxy: evolution
  • Galaxy: halo
  • Galaxy: kinematics and dynamics
  • Galaxy: structure
  • Magellanic Clouds

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