The Truncated Circumgalactic Medium of the Large Magellanic Cloud

Fuente: arXiv
Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mishra, Sapna, Fox, Andrew J., Krishnarao, Dhanesh, Lucchini, Scott, D'Onghia, Elena, Cashman, Frances H., Barger, Kathleen A., Lehner, Nicolas, Tumlinson, Jason
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
Subjects:
Online Access:
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866929544762490880
author Mishra, Sapna
Fox, Andrew J.
Krishnarao, Dhanesh
Lucchini, Scott
D'Onghia, Elena
Cashman, Frances H.
Barger, Kathleen A.
Lehner, Nicolas
Tumlinson, Jason
author_facet Mishra, Sapna
Fox, Andrew J.
Krishnarao, Dhanesh
Lucchini, Scott
D'Onghia, Elena
Cashman, Frances H.
Barger, Kathleen A.
Lehner, Nicolas
Tumlinson, Jason
contents The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is the nearest massive galaxy to the Milky Way. Its circumgalactic medium is complex and multi-phase, containing both stripped HI structures like the Magellanic Stream and Bridge, and a diffuse warm corona seen in high-ion absorption. We analyze 28 AGN sightlines passing within 35 kpc of the LMC with archival HST/COS spectra to characterize the cool (T\approx10^4$ K) gas in the LMC CGM, via new measurements of UV absorption in six low ions (OI, FeII, SiII, AlII, SII, and NiII) and one intermediate ion (SiIII). We show that a declining column-density profile is present in all seven ions, with the low-ion profiles having a steeper slope than the high-ion profiles in CIV and SiIV reported by Krishnarao et al. 2022. Crucially, absorption at the LMC systemic velocity is only detected (in all ions) out to 17 kpc. Beyond this distance, the gas has a lower velocity and is associated with the Magellanic Stream. These results demonstrate that the LMC's CGM is composed of two distinct components: a compact inner halo extending to 17 kpc, and a more extended stripped region associated with the Stream. The compactness and truncation of the LMC's inner CGM agree with recent simulations of ram-pressure stripping of the LMC by the Milky Way's extended corona.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_11960
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle The Truncated Circumgalactic Medium of the Large Magellanic Cloud
Mishra, Sapna
Fox, Andrew J.
Krishnarao, Dhanesh
Lucchini, Scott
D'Onghia, Elena
Cashman, Frances H.
Barger, Kathleen A.
Lehner, Nicolas
Tumlinson, Jason
Astrophysics of Galaxies
The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) is the nearest massive galaxy to the Milky Way. Its circumgalactic medium is complex and multi-phase, containing both stripped HI structures like the Magellanic Stream and Bridge, and a diffuse warm corona seen in high-ion absorption. We analyze 28 AGN sightlines passing within 35 kpc of the LMC with archival HST/COS spectra to characterize the cool (T\approx10^4$ K) gas in the LMC CGM, via new measurements of UV absorption in six low ions (OI, FeII, SiII, AlII, SII, and NiII) and one intermediate ion (SiIII). We show that a declining column-density profile is present in all seven ions, with the low-ion profiles having a steeper slope than the high-ion profiles in CIV and SiIV reported by Krishnarao et al. 2022. Crucially, absorption at the LMC systemic velocity is only detected (in all ions) out to 17 kpc. Beyond this distance, the gas has a lower velocity and is associated with the Magellanic Stream. These results demonstrate that the LMC's CGM is composed of two distinct components: a compact inner halo extending to 17 kpc, and a more extended stripped region associated with the Stream. The compactness and truncation of the LMC's inner CGM agree with recent simulations of ram-pressure stripping of the LMC by the Milky Way's extended corona.
title The Truncated Circumgalactic Medium of the Large Magellanic Cloud
topic Astrophysics of Galaxies
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.11960