Do low surface brightness galaxies have dense disks?

The disk masses of four low surface brightness galaxies (LSB) were estimated using marginal gravitational stability criterion and the stellar velocity dispersion data which were taken from Pizzella et al., 2008 [1]. The constructed mass models appear to be close to the models of maximal disk. The results show that the disks of LSB galaxies may be significantly more massive than it is usually accepted from their brightnesses. In this case their surface densities and masses appear to be rather typical for normal spirals. Otherwise, unlike the disks of many spiral galaxies, the LSB disks are dynamically overheated.Comment: 14 pages, 10 figures, submitted to Astronomy Report

High-resolution mass models of dwarf galaxies from LITTLE THINGS

We present high-resolution rotation curves and mass models of 26 dwarf galaxies from LITTLE THINGS. LITTLE THINGS is a high-resolution Very Large Array HI survey for nearby dwarf galaxies in the local volume within 11 Mpc. The rotation curves of the sample galaxies derived in a homogeneous and consistent manner are combined with Spitzer archival 3.6 micron and ancillary optical U, B, and V images to construct mass models of the galaxies. We decompose the rotation curves in terms of the dynamical contributions by baryons and dark matter halos, and compare the latter with those of dwarf galaxies from THINGS as well as Lambda CDM SPH simulations in which the effect of baryonic feedback processes is included. Being generally consistent with THINGS and simulated dwarf galaxies, most of the LITTLE THINGS sample galaxies show a linear increase of the rotation curve in their inner regions, which gives shallower logarithmic inner slopes alpha of their dark matter density profiles. The mean value of the slopes of the 26 LITTLE THINGS dwarf galaxies is alpha =-0.32 +/- 0.24 which is in accordance with the previous results found for low surface brightness galaxies (alpha = -0.2 +/- 0.2) as well as the seven THINGS dwarf galaxies (alpha =-0.29 +/- 0.07). However, this significantly deviates from the cusp-like dark matter distribution predicted by dark-matter-only Lambda CDM simulations. Instead our results are more in line with the shallower slopes found in the Lambda CDM SPH simulations of dwarf galaxies in which the effect of baryonic feedback processes is included. In addition, we discuss the central dark matter distribution of DDO 210 whose stellar mass is relatively low in our sample to examine the scenario of inefficient supernova feedback in low mass dwarf galaxies predicted from recent Lambda SPH simulations of dwarf galaxies where central cusps still remain.Peer reviewe

Dark Matter Universal Properties in Galaxies

In the past years a wealth of observations has unraveled the structural properties of dark and luminous mass distribution in galaxies, a benchmark for understanding dark matter and the process of galaxy formation. The study of the kinematics of over thousand spirals has evidenced a dark-luminous matter coupling and the presence of a series of scaling laws, pictured by the Universal Rotation Curve paradigm, an intriguing observational scenario not easily explained by present theories of galaxy formation.Comment: Proceedings of the VI International Workshop on the Dark side of the Universe. June 01-06, 2010. Le\'on, M\'exic

Understanding Dwarf Galaxies in order to Understand Dark Matter

Much progress has been made in recent years by the galaxy simulation community in making realistic galaxies, mostly by more accurately capturing the effects of baryons on the structural evolution of dark matter halos at high resolutions. This progress has altered theoretical expectations for galaxy evolution within a Cold Dark Matter (CDM) model, reconciling many earlier discrepancies between theory and observations. Despite this reconciliation, CDM may not be an accurate model for our Universe. Much more work must be done to understand the predictions for galaxy formation within alternative dark matter models.Comment: Refereed contribution to the Proceedings of the Simons Symposium on Illuminating Dark Matter, to be published by Springe

The PN.S Elliptical Galaxy Survey: the dark matter in NGC 4494

We present new Planetary Nebula Spectrograph observations of the ordinary elliptical galaxy NGC 4494, resulting in positions and velocities of 255 PNe out to 7 effective radii (25 kpc). We also present new wide-field surface photometry from MMT/Megacam, and long-slit stellar kinematics from VLT/FORS2. The spatial and kinematical distributions of the PNe agree with the field stars in the region of overlap. The mean rotation is relatively low, with a possible kinematic axis twist outside 1 Re. The velocity dispersion profile declines with radius, though not very steeply, down to ~70 km/s at the last data point. We have constructed spherical dynamical models of the system, including Jeans analyses with multi-component LCDM-motivated galaxies as well as logarithmic potentials. These models include special attention to orbital anisotropy, which we constrain using fourth-order velocity moments. Given several different sets of modelling methods and assumptions, we find consistent results for the mass profile within the radial range constrained by the data. Some dark matter (DM) is required by the data; our best-fit solution has a radially anisotropic stellar halo, a plausible stellar mass-to-light ratio, and a DM halo with an unexpectedly low central density. We find that this result does not substantially change with a flattened axisymmetric model. Taken together with other results for galaxy halo masses, we find suggestions for a puzzling pattern wherein most intermediate-luminosity galaxies have very low concentration halos, while some high-mass ellipticals have very high concentrations. We discuss some possible implications of these results for DM and galaxy formation.Comment: 29 pages, 17 figures. MNRAS, accepte

Habitable Zones in the Universe

Habitability varies dramatically with location and time in the universe. This was recognized centuries ago, but it was only in the last few decades that astronomers began to systematize the study of habitability. The introduction of the concept of the habitable zone was key to progress in this area. The habitable zone concept was first applied to the space around a star, now called the Circumstellar Habitable Zone. Recently, other, vastly broader, habitable zones have been proposed. We review the historical development of the concept of habitable zones and the present state of the research. We also suggest ways to make progress on each of the habitable zones and to unify them into a single concept encompassing the entire universe.Comment: 71 pages, 3 figures, 1 table; to be published in Origins of Life and Evolution of Biospheres; table slightly revise

Constraints on interacting dark energy models from galaxy Rotation Curves

[Abridged] High-resolution N-body simulations have recently shown that the structural properties of highly nonlinear cosmic structures, as e.g. their average concentration at a given mass, could be significantly modified in the presence of an interaction between Dark Energy and Dark Matter. While a constant interaction strength leads to less concentrated density profiles, a steep growth in time of the coupling function has been shown to determine a large increase of halo concentrations over a wide range of masses, including the typical halos hosting luminous spiral galaxies. This determines a substantial worsening of the "cusp-core" tension arising in the standard $\Lambda$CDM model and provides a direct way to constrain the form of the Dark Energy interaction. In the present paper we make use of the outcomes of some high-resolution N-body simulations of a specific class of interacting Dark Energy models to compare the predicted rotation curves of luminous spiral galaxies forming in these cosmologies against real observational data. Our results show how some specific interacting Dark Energy scenarios featuring a steep growth in time of the coupling function -- which are virtually indistinguishable from LCDM in the background -- cannot fit the observed rotation curves of luminous spiral galaxies and can therefore be ruled out only on the basis of dynamical properties of small-scale structures. Our study is a pilot investigation of the effects of a Dark Energy interaction at small scales, and demonstrates how the dynamical properties of visible galaxies can in some cases provide direct constraints on the nature of Dark Energy.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures. Accepted for publication in JCA

Cosmology: small scale issues

The abundance of dark matter satellites and subhalos, the existence of density cusps at the centers of dark matter halos, and problems producing realistic disk galaxies in simulations are issues that have raised concerns about the viability of the standard cold dark matter (LambdaCDM) scenario for galaxy formation. This talk reviews these issues, and considers the implications for cold vs. various varieties of warm dark matter (WDM). The current evidence appears to be consistent with standard LambdaCDM, although improving data may point toward a rather tepid version of LambdaWDM - tepid since the dark matter cannot be very warm without violating observational constraints.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, to appear in the proceedings of the 8th UCLA Dark Matter Symposium, Marina del Rey, USA, 20-22 February 200