LMC-driven anisotropic boosts in stream--subhalo interactions

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Arora, Arpit, Garavito-Camargo, Nicolás, Sanderson, Robyn E., Cunningham, Emily C., Wetzel, Andrew, Panithanpaisal, Nondh, Barry, Megan
Format: Preprint
Published: 2023
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author Arora, Arpit
Garavito-Camargo, Nicolás
Sanderson, Robyn E.
Cunningham, Emily C.
Wetzel, Andrew
Panithanpaisal, Nondh
Barry, Megan
author_facet Arora, Arpit
Garavito-Camargo, Nicolás
Sanderson, Robyn E.
Cunningham, Emily C.
Wetzel, Andrew
Panithanpaisal, Nondh
Barry, Megan
contents Dark Matter (DM) subhalos are predicted to perturb stellar streams; stream morphologies and dynamics can constrain the mass distribution of subhalos. Using FIRE-2 simulations of Milky Way-mass galaxies, we show that presence of a Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC)--analog significantly changes stream-subhalo encounter rates. Three key factors drive these changes. First, the LMC--analog brings in many subhalos, increasing encounter rates for streams near the massive satellite by up to 20--40%. Second, the LMC--analog displaces the host from its center-of-mass (inducing reflex motion), causing a north-south asymmetry in the density and radial velocity distribution of subhalos. This asymmetry results in encounter rates varying by 50--70% across the sky at the same distance. Finally, the LMC--mass satellite induces a density wake in the host's DM halo, further boosting the encounter rates near the LMC--analog. We also explore the influence of stream orbital properties, finding a 50% increase in encounters for streams moving retrograde to the LMC--analog's orbit in the opposite hemisphere. The dependence of encounter rates on stream location and orbit has important implications for where to search for new streams with spurs and gaps in the Milky Way.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2309_15998
institution arXiv
publishDate 2023
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle LMC-driven anisotropic boosts in stream--subhalo interactions
Arora, Arpit
Garavito-Camargo, Nicolás
Sanderson, Robyn E.
Cunningham, Emily C.
Wetzel, Andrew
Panithanpaisal, Nondh
Barry, Megan
Astrophysics of Galaxies
Dark Matter (DM) subhalos are predicted to perturb stellar streams; stream morphologies and dynamics can constrain the mass distribution of subhalos. Using FIRE-2 simulations of Milky Way-mass galaxies, we show that presence of a Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC)--analog significantly changes stream-subhalo encounter rates. Three key factors drive these changes. First, the LMC--analog brings in many subhalos, increasing encounter rates for streams near the massive satellite by up to 20--40%. Second, the LMC--analog displaces the host from its center-of-mass (inducing reflex motion), causing a north-south asymmetry in the density and radial velocity distribution of subhalos. This asymmetry results in encounter rates varying by 50--70% across the sky at the same distance. Finally, the LMC--mass satellite induces a density wake in the host's DM halo, further boosting the encounter rates near the LMC--analog. We also explore the influence of stream orbital properties, finding a 50% increase in encounters for streams moving retrograde to the LMC--analog's orbit in the opposite hemisphere. The dependence of encounter rates on stream location and orbit has important implications for where to search for new streams with spurs and gaps in the Milky Way.
title LMC-driven anisotropic boosts in stream--subhalo interactions
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2309.15998