A projected Nesterov-Kaczmarz approach to stellar population-kinematic distribution reconstruction in Extragalactic Archaeology

In this paper, we consider the problem of reconstructing a galaxy's stellar population-kinematic distribution function from optical integral field unit measurements. These quantities are connected via a high-dimensional integral equation. To solve this problem, we propose a projected Nesterov-Kaczmarz reconstruction (PNKR) method, which efficiently leverages the problem structure and incorporates physical prior information such as smoothness and non-negativity constraints. To test the performance of our reconstruction approach, we apply it to a dataset simulated from a known ground truth density, and validate it by comparing our recoveries to those obtained by the widely used pPXF software.Comment: 34 pages, 8 figure

Total mass slopes and enclosed mass constrained by globular cluster system dynamics

The goal of this work is to probe the total mass distribution of early-type galaxies with globular clusters (GCs) as kinematic tracers, by constraining the parameters of the profile with a flexible modelling approach. To that end, we leverage the extended spatial distribution of GCs from the SLUGGS survey ($\langle R_{\rm GC,\ max} \rangle \sim 8R_{\rm e}$) in combination with discrete dynamical modelling. We use discrete Jeans anisotropic modelling in cylindrical coordinates to determine the velocity moments at the location of the GCs in our sample. We use a Bayesian framework to determine the best-fit parameters of the total mass density profile and orbital properties of the GC systems. We find that the orbital properties (anisotropy and rotation of the dispersion-dominated GC systems) minimally impact the measurements of the inner slope and enclosed mass, while a strong presence of dynamically-distinct subpopulations or low numbers of kinematic tracers can bias the results. Owing to the large spatial extent of the tracers our method is sensitive to the intrinsic inner slope of the total mass profile and we find $\overline{\alpha} = -1.88\pm 0.01$ for 12 galaxies with robust measurements. To compare our results with literature values we fit a single power-law profile to the resulting total mass density. In the radial range 0.1-4~$R_{\rm e}$ our measured slope has a value of $\langle \gamma_{\rm tot}\rangle = -2.22\pm0.14$ and is in good agreement with the literature.Comment: 17 pages, 13 Figures, 8 Tables, Accepted for publication in A&

Effect of the initial mass function on the dynamical SMBH mass estimate in the nucleated early-type galaxy FCC 47

Supermassive black holes (SMBHs) and nuclear star clusters (NSCs) co-exist in many galaxies. While the formation history of the black hole is essentially lost, NSCs preserve their evolutionary history imprinted onto their stellar populations and kinematics. Studying SMBHs and NSCs in tandem might help us to ultimately reveal the build-up of galaxy centres. In this study, we combine large-scale VLT/MUSE and high-resolution adaptive-optics-assisted VLT/SINFONI observations of the early-type galaxy FCC 47 with the goal being to assess the effect of a spatially (non-)variable initial mass function (IMF) on the determination of the mass of the putative SMBH in this galaxy. We achieve this by performing DYNAMITE Schwarzschild orbit-superposition modelling of the galaxy and its NSC. In order to properly take account of the stellar mass contribution to the galaxy potential, we create mass maps using a varying stellar mass-to-light ratio derived from single stellar population models with fixed and with spatially varying IMFs. Using the two mass maps, we estimate black hole masses of $(7.1^{+0.8}_{-1.1})\times 10^7\,M_{\odot}$ and $(4.4^{+1.2}_{-2.1}) \times 10^7\,M_{\odot}$ at $3\sigma$ signifance, respectively. Compared to models with constant stellar-mass-to-light ratio, the black hole masses decrease by 15% and 48%, respectively. Therefore, a varying IMF, both in its functional form and spatially across the galaxy, has a non-negligible effect on the SMBH mass estimate. Furthermore, we find that the SMBH in FCC 47 has probably not grown over-massive compared to its very over-massive NSC.Comment: 23 pages 19 Figures, accepted for publication in A&

The Pisces Plume and the Magellanic wake

Using RR Lyrae stars in the Gaia Data Release 2 and Pan-STARRS1 we study the properties of the Pisces overdensity, a diffuse substructure in the outer halo of the Milky Way. We show that along the line of sight, Pisces appears as a broad and long plume of stars stretching from 40 to 110 kpc with a steep distance gradient. On the sky Pisces’s elongated shape is aligned with the Magellanic Stream. Using follow-up VLT FORS2 spectroscopy, we have measured the velocity distribution of the Pisces candidate member stars and have shown it to be as broad as that of the Galactic halo but offset to negative velocities. Using a suite of numerical simulations, we demonstrate that the structure has many properties in common with the predicted behaviour of the Magellanic wake, i.e. the Galactic halo overdensity induced by the infall of the Magellanic Clouds

Stellar streams around the Magellanic Clouds in 4D

We carried out a spectroscopic follow-up program of the four new stellar stream candidates detected by Belokurov & Koposov (2016) in the outskirts of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) using FORS2 (VLT). The medium-resolution spectra were used to measure the line-of-sight velocities, estimate stellar metallicities and to classify stars into Blue Horizontal Branch (BHB) and Blue Straggler (BS) stars. Using the 4-D phase-space information, we attribute approximately one half of our sample to the Magellanic Clouds, while the rest is part of the Galactic foreground. Only two of the four stream candidates are confirmed kinematically. While it is impossible to estimate the exact levels of MW contamination, the phase-space distribution of the entire sample of our Magellanic stars matches the expected velocity gradient for the LMC halo and extends as far as 33 deg (angular separation) or 29 kpc from the LMC center. Our detections reinforce the idea that the halo of the LMC seems to be larger than previously expected, and its debris can be spread in the sky out to very large separations from the LMC center. Finally, we provide some kinematic evidence that many of the stars analysed here have likely come from the Small Magellanic Cloud.Comment: 15 pages, 13 figures, accepted for publication in MNRA

Disentangling the formation history of galaxies via population-orbit superposition: method validation

We present population-orbit superposition models for external galaxies based on Schwarzschild's orbit-superposition method, by tagging the orbits with age and metallicity. The models fit the density distributions, as well as kinematic, age and metallicity maps from Integral Field Unit (IFU) spectroscopy observations. We validate the method and demonstrate its power by applying it to mock data, similar to those obtained by the Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) IFU on the Very Large Telescope (VLT). These mock data are created from Auriga galaxy simulations, viewed at three different inclination angles ($\vartheta=40^o, 60^o, 80^o$). Constrained by MUSE-like mock data, our model can recover the galaxy's stellar orbit distribution projected in orbital circularity $\lambda_z$ vs. radius $r$, the intrinsic stellar population distribution in age $t$ vs. metallicity $Z$, and the correlation between orbits' circularity $\lambda_z$ and stellar age $t$. A physically motivated age-metallicity relation improves recovering the intrinsic stellar population distributions. We decompose galaxies into cold, warm and hot + counter-rotating components based on their orbit circularity distribution, and find that the surface density, mean velocity, velocity dispersion, age and metallicity maps of each component from our models well reproduce those from simulation, especially for projections close to edge-on. These galaxies exhibit strong global age vs. $\sigma_z$ relation, which is well recovered by our model. The method has the power to reveal the detailed build-up of stellar structures in galaxies, and offers a complement to local resolved, and high-redshift studies of galaxy evolution.Comment: 20 pages, submitted to MNRA

Snake in the Clouds::a new nearby dwarf galaxy in the Magellanic bridge

We report the discovery of a nearby dwarf galaxy in the constellation of Hydrus, between the Large and the Small Magellanic Clouds. Hydrus 1 is a mildy elliptical ultra-faint system with luminosity $M_V\sim$ -4.7 and size $\sim$ 50 pc, located 28 kpc from the Sun and 24 kpc from the LMC. From spectroscopy of $\sim$ 30 member stars, we measure a velocity dispersion of 2.7 km/s and find tentative evidence for a radial velocity gradient consistent with 3 km/s rotation. Hydrus 1's velocity dispersion indicates that the system is dark matter dominated, but its dynamical mass-to-light ratio M/L $\sim$ 66 is significantly smaller than typical for ultra-faint dwarfs at similar luminosity. The kinematics and spatial position of Hydrus~1 make it a very plausible member of the family of satellites brought into the Milky Way by the Magellanic Clouds. While Hydrus 1's proximity and well-measured kinematics make it a promising target for dark matter annihilation searches, we find no evidence for significant gamma-ray emission from Hydrus 1. The new dwarf is a metal-poor galaxy with a mean metallicity [Fe/H]=-2.5 and [Fe/H] spread of 0.4 dex, similar to other systems of similar luminosity. Alpha-abundances of Hyi 1 members indicate that star-formation was extended, lasting between 0.1 and 1 Gyr, with self-enrichment dominated by SN Ia. The dwarf also hosts a highly carbon-enhanced extremely metal-poor star with [Fe/H] $\sim$ -3.2 and [C/Fe] $\sim$ +3.0.Comment: submitted to MNRAS; 21 page

Discovery of two neighbouring satellites in the Carina constellation with MagLiteS

We report the discovery of two ultra-faint satellites in the vicinity of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) in data from the Magellanic Satellites Survey (MagLiteS). Situated 18 deg (~20 kpc) from the LMC and separated from each other by only 18 arcmin, Carina II and III form an intriguing pair. By simultaneously modelling the spatial and the colour-magnitude stellar distributions, we find that bothCarina II and Carina III are likely dwarf galaxies, although this is less clear for Carina III. There are in fact several obvious differences between the two satellites. While both are well described by an old and metal poor population, Carina II is located at ~36 kpc from the Sun, with MV ~-4.5 and rh ~ 90 pc, and it is further confirmed by the discovery of 3 RR Lyrae at the right distance. In contrast, Carina III is much more elongated, measured to be fainter (MV ~ -2.4), significantly more compact (rh ~ 30 pc), and closer to the Sun, at ~28 kpc, placing it only 8 kpc away from Car II. Together with several other systems detected by the Dark Energy Camera, Carina II and III form a strongly anisotropic cloud of satellites in the vicinity of the Magellanic Clouds.BCC acknowledges the support of the Australian Research Council through Discovery project DP150100862. GT acknowledges support from the Ministry of Science and Technology grant MOST 105-2112-M-001-028-MY3, and a Career Development Award (to YTL) from Academia Sinica

Snake in the Clouds: A new nearby dwarf galaxy in the Magellanic bridge

We report the discovery of a nearby dwarf galaxy in the constellation of Hydrus, between the Large (LMC) and the Small Magellanic Clouds (SMC). Hydrus 1 is a mildly elliptical ultrafaint system with luminosity MV ~-4.7 and size 53 ± 3 pc, located 28 kpc from the Sun and 24 kpc from the LMC. From spectroscopy of ~30 member stars, we measure a velocity dispersion of 2.7 ± 0.5 kms-1 and find tentative evidence for a radial velocity gradient consistent with 3 kms-1 rotation. Hydrus 1's velocity dispersion indicates that the system is dark matter dominated, but its dynamical mass-to-light ratio M/L=66+29 -20 is significantly smaller than typical for ultrafaint dwarfs at similar luminosity. The kinematics and spatial position of Hydrus 1 make it a very plausible member of the family of satellites brought into the Milky Way by the Magellanic Clouds. While Hydrus 1's proximity and well-measured kinematicsmake it a promising target for darkmatter annihilation searches,we find no evidence for significant gamma-ray emission from Hydrus 1. The new dwarf is a metal-poor galaxy with a mean metallicity [Fe/H]=-2.5 and [Fe/H] standard deviation of 0.4 dex, similar to other systems of similar luminosity. α abundances of Hyi 1 members indicate that star formation was extended, lasting between 0.1 and 1 Gyr, with self-enrichment dominated by supernova Ia. The dwarf also hosts a highly carbon-enhanced extremely metal-poor star with [Fe/H]~-3.2 and [C/Fe] ~ +3.0.ARC acknowledges support from the Australian Research Council (ARC) through Discovery Project grant DP160100637. DM is supported by an ARC Future Fellowship (FT160100206). DM and GDC acknowledge support from ARC Discovery Project DP150103294. MM acknowledges support from NSF grant AST1312997. MGW acknowledges support from NSF grant AST1412999. E.O. acknowledges support from NSF grant AST1313006. The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Research Council under the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme (FP/2007-2013)/ERC grant agreement number 308024