The remnants of galaxy formation from a panoramic survey of the region around M31

Alan W. McConnachie; Michael J. Irwin; Rodrigo A. Ibata; John Dubinski; Lawrence M. Widrow; Nicolas F. Martin; Patrick Côté; Aaron L. Dotter; Julio F. Navarro; Annette M. N. Ferguson; Thomas H. Puzia; Geraint F. Lewis; Arif Babul; Pauline Barmby; Olivier Bienaymé; Scott C. Chapman; Robert Cockcroft; Michelle L. M. Collins; Mark A. Fardal; William E. Harris; Avon Huxor; A. Dougal Mackey; Jorge Peñarrubia; R. Michael Rich; Harvey B. Richer; Arnaud Siebert; Nial Tanvir; David Valls-Gabaud; Kimberly A. Venn

doi:10.1038/nature08327

The remnants of galaxy formation from a panoramic survey of the region around M31

Alan W. McConnachie, Michael J. Irwin, Rodrigo A. Ibata, John Dubinski, Lawrence M. Widrow, Nicolas F. Martin, Patrick Côté, Aaron L. Dotter, Julio F. Navarro, Annette M. N. Ferguson, Thomas H. Puzia, Geraint F. Lewis, Arif Babul, Pauline Barmby, Olivier Bienaymé, Scott C. Chapman, Robert Cockcroft, Michelle L. M. Collins, Mark A. Fardal, William E. HarrisAvon Huxor, A. Dougal Mackey, Jorge Peñarrubia, R. Michael Rich, Harvey B. Richer, Arnaud Siebert, Nial Tanvir, David Valls-Gabaud, Kimberly A. Venn

School of Physics and Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

Abstract

In hierarchical cosmological models, galaxies grow in mass through the continual accretion of smaller ones. The tidal disruption of these systems is expected to result in loosely bound stars surrounding the galaxy, at distances that reach 10-100 times the radius of the central disk. The number, luminosity and morphology of the relics of this process provide significant clues to galaxy formation history, but obtaining a comprehensive survey of these components is difficult because of their intrinsic faintness and vast extent. Here we report a panoramic survey of the Andromeda galaxy (M31). We detect stars and coherent structures that are almost certainly remnants of dwarf galaxies destroyed by the tidal field of M31. An improved census of their surviving counterparts implies that three-quarters of M31's satellites brighter than Mv = -6 await discovery. The brightest companion, Triangulum (M33), is surrounded by a stellar structure that provides persuasive evidence for a recent encounter with M31. This panorama of galaxy structure directly confirms the basic tenets of the hierarchical galaxy formation model and reveals the shared history of M31 and M33 in the unceasing build-up of galaxies.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	66-69
Journal	Nature
Volume	461
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08327
Publication status	Published - 3 Sept 2009

Access to Document

10.1038/nature08327

http://adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009Natur.461...66M

Cite this

McConnachie, A. W., Irwin, M. J., Ibata, R. A., Dubinski, J., Widrow, L. M., Martin, N. F., Côté, P., Dotter, A. L., Navarro, J. F., Ferguson, A. M. N., Puzia, T. H., Lewis, G. F., Babul, A., Barmby, P., Bienaymé, O., Chapman, S. C., Cockcroft, R., Collins, M. L. M., Fardal, M. A., ... Venn, K. A. (2009). The remnants of galaxy formation from a panoramic survey of the region around M31. Nature, 461, 66-69. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08327

@article{b3b4d836fdb44dbb9523a5a31ed96c30,

title = "The remnants of galaxy formation from a panoramic survey of the region around M31",

abstract = "In hierarchical cosmological models, galaxies grow in mass through the continual accretion of smaller ones. The tidal disruption of these systems is expected to result in loosely bound stars surrounding the galaxy, at distances that reach 10-100 times the radius of the central disk. The number, luminosity and morphology of the relics of this process provide significant clues to galaxy formation history, but obtaining a comprehensive survey of these components is difficult because of their intrinsic faintness and vast extent. Here we report a panoramic survey of the Andromeda galaxy (M31). We detect stars and coherent structures that are almost certainly remnants of dwarf galaxies destroyed by the tidal field of M31. An improved census of their surviving counterparts implies that three-quarters of M31's satellites brighter than Mv = -6 await discovery. The brightest companion, Triangulum (M33), is surrounded by a stellar structure that provides persuasive evidence for a recent encounter with M31. This panorama of galaxy structure directly confirms the basic tenets of the hierarchical galaxy formation model and reveals the shared history of M31 and M33 in the unceasing build-up of galaxies.",

author = "McConnachie, {Alan W.} and Irwin, {Michael J.} and Ibata, {Rodrigo A.} and John Dubinski and Widrow, {Lawrence M.} and Martin, {Nicolas F.} and Patrick C{\^o}t{\'e} and Dotter, {Aaron L.} and Navarro, {Julio F.} and Ferguson, {Annette M. N.} and Puzia, {Thomas H.} and Lewis, {Geraint F.} and Arif Babul and Pauline Barmby and Olivier Bienaym{\'e} and Chapman, {Scott C.} and Robert Cockcroft and Collins, {Michelle L. M.} and Fardal, {Mark A.} and Harris, {William E.} and Avon Huxor and Mackey, {A. Dougal} and Jorge Pe{\~n}arrubia and Rich, {R. Michael} and Richer, {Harvey B.} and Arnaud Siebert and Nial Tanvir and David Valls-Gabaud and Venn, {Kimberly A.}",

year = "2009",

month = sep,

day = "3",

doi = "10.1038/nature08327",

language = "English",

volume = "461",

pages = "66--69",

journal = "Nature",

issn = "0028-0836",

publisher = "Nature Publishing Group",

}

McConnachie, AW, Irwin, MJ, Ibata, RA, Dubinski, J, Widrow, LM, Martin, NF, Côté, P, Dotter, AL, Navarro, JF, Ferguson, AMN, Puzia, TH, Lewis, GF, Babul, A, Barmby, P, Bienaymé, O, Chapman, SC, Cockcroft, R, Collins, MLM, Fardal, MA, Harris, WE, Huxor, A, Mackey, AD, Peñarrubia, J, Rich, RM, Richer, HB, Siebert, A, Tanvir, N, Valls-Gabaud, D & Venn, KA 2009, 'The remnants of galaxy formation from a panoramic survey of the region around M31', Nature, vol. 461, pp. 66-69. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08327

TY - JOUR

T1 - The remnants of galaxy formation from a panoramic survey of the region around M31

AU - McConnachie, Alan W.

AU - Irwin, Michael J.

AU - Ibata, Rodrigo A.

AU - Dubinski, John

AU - Widrow, Lawrence M.

AU - Martin, Nicolas F.

AU - Côté, Patrick

AU - Dotter, Aaron L.

AU - Navarro, Julio F.

AU - Ferguson, Annette M. N.

AU - Puzia, Thomas H.

AU - Lewis, Geraint F.

AU - Babul, Arif

AU - Barmby, Pauline

AU - Bienaymé, Olivier

AU - Chapman, Scott C.

AU - Cockcroft, Robert

AU - Collins, Michelle L. M.

AU - Fardal, Mark A.

AU - Harris, William E.

AU - Huxor, Avon

AU - Mackey, A. Dougal

AU - Peñarrubia, Jorge

AU - Rich, R. Michael

AU - Richer, Harvey B.

AU - Siebert, Arnaud

AU - Tanvir, Nial

AU - Valls-Gabaud, David

AU - Venn, Kimberly A.

PY - 2009/9/3

Y1 - 2009/9/3

N2 - In hierarchical cosmological models, galaxies grow in mass through the continual accretion of smaller ones. The tidal disruption of these systems is expected to result in loosely bound stars surrounding the galaxy, at distances that reach 10-100 times the radius of the central disk. The number, luminosity and morphology of the relics of this process provide significant clues to galaxy formation history, but obtaining a comprehensive survey of these components is difficult because of their intrinsic faintness and vast extent. Here we report a panoramic survey of the Andromeda galaxy (M31). We detect stars and coherent structures that are almost certainly remnants of dwarf galaxies destroyed by the tidal field of M31. An improved census of their surviving counterparts implies that three-quarters of M31's satellites brighter than Mv = -6 await discovery. The brightest companion, Triangulum (M33), is surrounded by a stellar structure that provides persuasive evidence for a recent encounter with M31. This panorama of galaxy structure directly confirms the basic tenets of the hierarchical galaxy formation model and reveals the shared history of M31 and M33 in the unceasing build-up of galaxies.

AB - In hierarchical cosmological models, galaxies grow in mass through the continual accretion of smaller ones. The tidal disruption of these systems is expected to result in loosely bound stars surrounding the galaxy, at distances that reach 10-100 times the radius of the central disk. The number, luminosity and morphology of the relics of this process provide significant clues to galaxy formation history, but obtaining a comprehensive survey of these components is difficult because of their intrinsic faintness and vast extent. Here we report a panoramic survey of the Andromeda galaxy (M31). We detect stars and coherent structures that are almost certainly remnants of dwarf galaxies destroyed by the tidal field of M31. An improved census of their surviving counterparts implies that three-quarters of M31's satellites brighter than Mv = -6 await discovery. The brightest companion, Triangulum (M33), is surrounded by a stellar structure that provides persuasive evidence for a recent encounter with M31. This panorama of galaxy structure directly confirms the basic tenets of the hierarchical galaxy formation model and reveals the shared history of M31 and M33 in the unceasing build-up of galaxies.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=69949105175&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1038/nature08327

DO - 10.1038/nature08327

M3 - Article

SN - 0028-0836

VL - 461

SP - 66

EP - 69

JO - Nature

JF - Nature

ER -

The remnants of galaxy formation from a panoramic survey of the region around M31

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this