The hidden giant: discovery of an enormous Galactic dwarf satellite in Gaia DR2

G. Torrealba, V. Belokurov, S. E. Koposov, T. S. Li, M. G. Walker, J. L. Sanders, A. Geringer-Sameth, D. B. Zucker, K. Kuehn, N. W. Evans, W. Dehnen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

We report the discovery of a Milky Way satellite in the constellation of Antlia. The Antlia 2 dwarf galaxy is located behind the Galactic disc at a latitude of b ∼ 11° and spans 1.26°, which corresponds to ∼2.9 kpc at its distance of 130 kpc. While similar in spatial extent to the Large Magellanic Cloud, Antlia 2 is orders of magnitude fainter at MV = −9 mag, making it by far the lowest surface brightness system known (at ∼31.9 mag arcsec−2), ∼100 times more diffuse than the so-called ultra diffuse galaxies. The satellite was identified using a combination of astrometry, photometry, and variability data from Gaia Data Release 2, and its nature confirmed with deep archival DECam imaging, which revealed a conspicuous BHB signal. We have also obtained follow-up spectroscopy using AAOmega on the AAT, identifying 159 member stars, and we used them to measure the dwarf’s systemic velocity, 290.9 ± 0.5 km s−1, its velocity dispersion, 5.7 ± 1.1 km s−1, and mean metallicity, [Fe/H] = −1.4. From these properties we conclude that Antlia 2 inhabits one of the least dense dark matter (DM) haloes probed to date. Dynamical modelling and tidal-disruption simulations suggest that a combination of a cored DM profile and strong tidal stripping may explain the observed properties of this satellite. The origin of this core may be consistent with aggressive feedback, or may even require alternatives to cold dark matter (such as ultra-light bosons).
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2743-2766
Number of pages27
JournalMonthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Volume488
Issue number2
Early online date12 Jun 2019
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Nov 2019

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • astro-ph.GA
  • Galaxy
  • halo – galaxies
  • dwarf – galaxies
  • individual
  • Antlia 2 Dwarf

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'The hidden giant: discovery of an enormous Galactic dwarf satellite in Gaia DR2'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this