Related papers: Blind source separation of the stellar halo
We present the first results of applying Gaussian Mixture Models in the stellar kinematic space of normalized angular momentum and binding energy on NIHAO high resolution galaxies to separate the stars into multiple components. We exemplify…
The large-scale morphology of Milky Way (MW)-mass dark matter (DM) halos is shaped by two key processes: filamentary accretion from the cosmic web and interactions with massive satellites. Disentangling their contributions is essential for…
The formation processes that led to the current Galactic stellar halo are still under debate. Previous studies have provided evidence for different stellar populations in terms of elemental abundances and kinematics, pointing to different…
Using realistic cosmological simulations of Milky Way sized haloes, we study their dynamical state and the accuracy of inferring their mass profiles with steady-state models of dynamical tracers. We use a new method that describes the…
We derive the mass model of the Milky Way (MW) using a cored dark matter (DM) halo profile and recent data. The method used consists in fitting a spherically symmetric model of the Galaxy with a Burkert DM halo profile to available data: MW…
Using a large sample of bright nearby stars with accurate Gaia Data Release 2 astrometry and auxiliary spectroscopy we map out the properties of the principle Galactic components such as the "thin" and "thick" discs and the halo. We show…
The variation of metal production over time and its dilution in the interstellar medium depend on the star formation and gas accretion rates. Measuring age-chemistry relations across the Milky Way disk provides key constraints on the gas…
Precise abundance ratios are determined for 94 dwarf stars with 5200 < Teff < 6300 K, -1.6 < [Fe/H] < -0.4, and distances D < 335 pc. Most of them have halo kinematics, but 16 thick-disk stars are included. Equivalent widths of atomic lines…
We investigate the metallicity distribution function (MDF) in the Galactic halo and the relative fraction of Carbon-normal and Carbon-rich stars. To this aim, we use an improved version of the semi-analytical code GAlaxy MErger Tree and…
In the $\Lambda$CDM paradigm, stellar halos form through the accretion and disruption of satellite galaxies. We introduce new semi-analytic modeling within the SatGen framework to track the ex-situ stellar components of Milky Way--like…
We study numerical simulations of satellite galaxy disruption in a potential resembling that of the Milky Way. Our goal is to assess whether a merger origin for the stellar halo would leave observable fossil structure in the phase-space…
(Abridged) We use numerical simulations to investigate the origin and structure of the luminous halos that surround isolated galaxies. These stellar structures extend out to several hundred kpc away from a galaxy, and consist of stars shed…
We show that tagging RR Lyrae stars according to their location in the period-amplitude diagram can be used to shed light on the genesis of the Galactic stellar halo. The mixture of RR Lyrae of ab type, separated into classes along the…
We study the formation of the Milky Way's halo in a $\Lambda$CDM cosmology by scaling down a high resolution simulation of the formation of a cluster of galaxies. We determine how much phase-space substructure is left over from the objects…
A rudimentary, one-zone, closed-box model for inhomogeneous chemical evolution is offered as an alternative reference than the Simple model in the limit of no mixing. The metallicity distribution functions (MDFs) of Galactic halo and bulge…
Stellar streams originating in disrupted dwarf galaxies and star clusters are observed around the Milky Way and nearby galaxies. Such substructures are the important tracers that record how the host haloes have accreted progenitor galaxies.…
The hierarchical structure formation model predicts that stellar halos should form, at least partly, via mergers. If this was a predominant formation channel for the Milky Way's halo, imprints of this merger history in the form of moving…
The stellar halo of the Milky Way is known to have a highly lumpy structure due to the presence of tidal debris and streams accreted from the satellite galaxies. The abundance and distribution of these substructures can provide a wealth of…
Measurements of [Fe/H] and [$\alpha$/Fe] can probe the minor merging history of a galaxy, providing a direct way to test the hierarchical assembly paradigm. While measurements of [$\alpha$/Fe] have been made in the stellar halo of the Milky…
The present day chemical and dynamical properties of the Milky Way bear the imprint of the Galaxy's formation and evolutionary history. One of the most enduring and critical debates surrounding Galactic evolution is that regarding the…