Signature of a Dark Ultra-compact Dwarf Galaxy Transiting the Milky Way Disk
Abstract
We report the discovery of a vertical velocity anomaly (VVA) in the stellar component of the Galactic disk, consistent with the impact of a dark, ultra-compact dwarf galaxy (UCD)-sized object plunging into the Milky Way. The anomaly spatially coincides with a suite of gaseous disturbances -- including an \Hone\ void, a molecular shell (CO 16.134--0.553), and a vertical \Hone\ filament -- previously interpreted as signatures of a dark matter subhalo (DMSH) collision. Analysis of Gaia DR2 astrometry reveals a statistically significant vertical velocity dip co-located with these features, supporting a dynamical origin. The absence of a luminous source at the filament's terminus suggests a dark or failed UCD. These results provide rare observational evidence for a low-mass DMSH, with implications for the substructure of dark matter halos and constraints on the CDM model.
Keywords
Cite
@article{arxiv.2508.19643,
title = {Signature of a Dark Ultra-compact Dwarf Galaxy Transiting the Milky Way Disk},
author = {Ken Udagawa and Tomoharu Oka and Hiroki Yokozuka and Tatsuya Kotani},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2508.19643},
year = {2025}
}
Comments
6 pages, 4 figures