Related papers: Do dwarf spheroidal galaxies contain dark matter?
We present wide-field $g$ and $i$ band stellar photometry of the Sextans dwarf spheroidal galaxy and its surrounding area out to four times its half-light radius ($r_h=695\,$pc), based on images obtained with the Dark Energy Camera at the…
We study the distribution of the Milky Way satellites stellar and dark matter debris. For the first time we address the question of the tidal disruption of satellites in simulations by utilising simultaneously a) a realistic set of orbits…
We present a synthesis of recent photometric and kinematic data for several of the most dark-matter dominated galaxies. There is a bimodal distribution in half-light radii, with stable star clusters always being smaller than $\sim30$pc,…
While the dark matter content within the most massive giant and smallest dwarf galaxies has been probed -- spanning a range of over one million in mass -- an important observational gap remains for galaxies of intermediate mass. This gap…
We explore the possible signatures of dark matter (DM) pair annihilations in the nearby dwarf spheroidal galaxy Draco. After investigating the mass models for Draco in the light of available observational data, we carefully model the DM…
In several interacting systems, gas accumulations as massive as 10^9 solar masses are observed near the tip of tidal tails, and are thought to be possible progenitors of Tidal Dwarf Galaxies. Using N-body simulations of galaxy interactions,…
Milky Way (MW) satellites reside within dark matter (DM) subhalos with a broad distribution of circular velocity profiles. This diversity is enhanced with the inclusion of ultra-faint satellites, which seemingly have very high DM densities,…
We present preliminary results of a long-term project to investigate the process of accretion and tidal disruption of dSph satellites in the Galactic halo and, in particular, to search for new tidal tails in a sample of nearby dSph…
Using the caustic method, we identify the member stars of five dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies of the Milky Way, the smallest dark matter (DM) dominated systems in the Universe. After our interloper rejection, we compute line-of-sight…
The nature of the dark matter in the Universe is one of the outstanding questions in astrophysics. In this talk, I address possible stellar baryonic contributions to the 50-90% of our Galaxy that is made of unknown dark matter. First I show…
Low mass surface density spiral and irregular galaxies like low surface brightness (LSB) and dwarf galaxies are unique laboratories to study the dynamical properties of Dark Matter halos because their mass is generally dominated by dark…
(Abridged) We use N-body simulations to study the effects that a divergent (i.e. "cuspy") dark matter (DM) profile introduces on the tidal evolution of dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs). Our models assume cosmologically-motivated initial…
Low mass galaxies are expected to be dark matter dominated even within their centrals. Recently two observations reported two dwarf galaxies in group environment with very little dark matter in their centrals. We explore the population and…
We derive the distribution of the phantom dark matter in the eight classical dwarf galaxies surrounding the Milky Way, under the assumption that modified Newtonian dynamics (MOND) is the correct theory of gravity. According to their…
Dwarf satellite galaxies are thought to be the remnants of the population of primordial structures that coalesced to form giant galaxies like the Milky Way. An early analysis noted that dwarf galaxies may not be isotropically distributed…
Dwarf spheroidal galaxies of the Local Group obey a relationship between the line-of-sight velocity dispersion and half-light radius, although there are a number of dwarfs that lie beneath this relation with suppressed velocity dispersion.…
Observations reveal a striking diversity in dwarf galaxy structures, spanning a wide range of masses, inner density slopes, shapes, and sizes. Tidal stripping may play a crucial role in shaping the evolution of these galaxies, yet the…
We are exploring the extended stellar distributions of Galactic satellite galaxies and globular clusters. For seven objects studied thus far, the observed profile departs from a King function at large r, revealing a ``break population'' of…
Using high-resolution N-body simulations we study the stellar properties of dwarf spheroidal galaxies resulting from the tidally induced morphological transformation of disky dwarfs on a cosmologically motivated eccentric orbit around the…
The extremely-low-luminosity, compact Milky Way satellite Ursa Major III / UNIONS 1 (UMaIII/U1; $L_V = 11 \ L_{\odot}$; $a_{1/2} = 3$ pc) was found to have a substantial velocity dispersion at the time of its discovery ($\sigma_v =…