Related papers: A Universal Mass Profile for Dwarf Spheroidal Gala…
We derive an accurate mass estimator for dispersion-supported stellar systems and demonstrate its validity by analyzing resolved line-of-sight velocity data for globular clusters, dwarf galaxies, and elliptical galaxies. Specifically, by…
We introduce a method for measuring the slopes of mass profiles within dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies directly from stellar spectroscopic data and without adopting a dark matter halo model. Our method combines two recent results: 1)…
By manipulating the spherical Jeans equation, Wolf et al. (2010) show that the mass enclosed within the 3D deprojected half-light radius r_1/2 can be determined with only mild assumptions about the spatial variation of the stellar velocity…
We forecast parameter uncertainties on the mass profile of a typical Milky Way dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy using the spherical Jeans Equation and Fisher matrix formalism. We show that radial velocity measurements for 1000 individual…
Although still under debate, observations generally suggest that dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies exhibit large constant-density cores in the centers, which can hardly be explained by dissipationless cold dark matter simulations without…
We construct axisymmetric mass models for dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies in the Milky Way to obtain plausible limits on the non-spherical structure of their dark halos. This is motivated by the fact that the observed luminous parts of the…
Using collisionless N-body simulations of dwarf galaxies orbiting the Milky Way (MW) we construct realistic models of dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies of the Local Group. The dwarfs are initially composed of stellar disks embedded in dark…
Thanks to instrumental advances, new, very large kinematic datasets for nearby dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies are on the horizon. A key aim of these datasets is to help determine the distribution of dark matter in these galaxies. Past…
Starting with the spherical Jeans equation, we show that there exists a radius where the mass enclosed depends only on the projected tangential velocity dispersion, assuming that the anisotropy profile slowly varies. This is…
We model three dSph galaxies, Draco, Ursa Minor and Fornax, as axisymmetric stellar systems embedded in spherical dark-matter potentials, which are in dynamical equilibrium without significant external tidal forces. We construct…
We examine the dynamics of stellar systems embedded within cold dark matter (CDM) halos in order to assess observational constraints on the dark matter content of Local Group dwarf spheroidals (dSphs). Our analysis shows that the total mass…
We investigate the claim that all dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) reside within halos that share a common, universal mass profile as has been derived for dSphs of the Galaxy. By folding in kinematic information for 25 Andromeda dSphs,…
We consider dark masses measured from kinematic tracers at discrete radii in galaxies for which baryonic contributions to overall potentials are either subtracted or negligible. Recent work indicates that rotation curves due to dark matter…
We present predictions for the line-of-sight velocity dispersion profiles of dwarf spheroidal galaxies and compare them to observations in the case of the Fornax dwarf. The predictions are made in the framework of standard dynamical theory…
The local group dwarf spheroidal galaxies (LG dSphs) are among the most promising astrophysical targets for probing the small scale structure of dark matter (DM) subhalos. We describe a method for testing the correspondence between proposed…
Using a flexible galactic model with variable stellar velocity anisotropy, I apply the classical Jeans mass modeling approach to the five dwarf spheroidal galaxies with the largest homogeneous datasets of stellar line-of-sight velocities…
We present new constraints on the density profiles of dark matter (DM) halos in seven nearby dwarf galaxies from measurements of their integrated stellar light and gas kinematics. The gas kinematics of low mass galaxies frequently suggest…
Mass estimators are a key tool to infer the dark matter content in pressure-supported systems like dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs). We construct an estimator for enclosed masses based on the virial theorem which is insensitive to…
It has been suggested that the internal dynamics of dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) can be used to test whether or not ultralight axions with $m_a\sim 10^{-22}\text{eV}$ are a preferred dark matter candidate. However, comparisons to…
Assuming spherical symmetry and dynamical equilibrium within a given gravitational potential, a dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy's globally averaged stellar velocity dispersion depends entirely on the shape of its stellar density profile.…