Stellar Tidal Streams In Spiral Galaxies Of The Local Volume: A Pilot Survey With Modest Aperture Telescopes

Simple item page
dc.contributor.utaustinauthorChonis, T. S.en_US
dc.creatorMartinez-Delgado, Daviden_US
dc.creatorGabany, R. Jayen_US
dc.creatorCrawford, Kenen_US
dc.creatorZibetti, Stefanoen_US
dc.creatorMajewski, Steven R.en_US
dc.creatorRix, Hans-Walteren_US
dc.creatorFliri, Jurgenen_US
dc.creatorCarballo-Bello, Julio A.en_US
dc.creatorBardalez-Gagliuffi, Daniella C.en_US
dc.creatorPenarrubia, Jorgeen_US
dc.creatorChonis, Taylor S.en_US
dc.creatorMadore, Barryen_US
dc.creatorTrujillo, Ignacioen_US
dc.creatorSchirmer, Mischaen_US
dc.creatorMcDavid, David A.en_US
dc.date.accessioned2016-04-22T19:48:34Z
dc.date.available2016-04-22T19:48:34Z
dc.date.issued2010-10en
dc.description.abstractWithin the hierarchical framework for galaxy formation, minor merging and tidal interactions are expected to shape all large galaxies to the present day. As a consequence, most seemingly normal disk galaxies should be surrounded by spatially extended stellar >tidal features> of low surface brightness. As part of a pilot survey for such interaction signatures, we have carried out ultra deep, wide field imaging of eight isolated spiral galaxies in the Local Volume, with data taken at small (D = 0.1-0.5 m) robotic telescopes that provide exquisite surface brightness sensitivity (mu(lim)(V) similar to 28.5 mag arcsec(-2)). This initial observational effort has led to the discovery of six previously undetected extensive (to similar to 30 kpc) stellar structures in the halos surrounding these galaxies, likely debris from tidally disrupted satellites. In addition, we confirm and clarify several enormous stellar over-densities previously reported in the literature, but never before interpreted as tidal streams. Even this pilot sample of galaxies exhibits strikingly diverse morphological characteristics of these extended stellar features: great circle-like features that resemble the Sagittarius stream surrounding the Milky Way, remote shells and giant clouds of presumed tidal debris far beyond the main stellar body, as well as jet-like features emerging from galactic disks. Together with presumed remains of already disrupted companions, our observations also capture surviving satellites caught in the act of tidal disruption. A qualitative comparison with available simulations set in a Lambda Cold Dark Matter cosmology (that model the stellar halo as the result of satellite disruption evolution) shows that the extraordinary variety of stellar morphologies detected in this pilot survey matches that seen in those simulations. The common existence of these tidal features around >normal> disk galaxies and the morphological match to the simulations constitutes new evidence that these theoretical models also apply to a large number of other Milky Way-mass disk galaxies in the Local Volume.en_US
dc.description.departmentAstronomyen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipSpanish Ministry of Education AYA 2007-65090en_US
dc.description.sponsorshipInstituto de Astrofisica de Canariasen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipNSF AST-0807945en_US
dc.identifierdoi:10.15781/T2VB9P
dc.identifier.citationMartínez-Delgado, David, R. Jay Gabany, Ken Crawford, Stefano Zibetti, Steven R. Majewski, Hans-Walter Rix, Jürgen Fliri et al. >Stellar tidal streams in spiral galaxies of the local volume: a pilot survey with modest aperture telescopes.> The Astronomical Journal, Vol. 140, No. 4 (Oct., 2010): 962.en_US
dc.identifier.doi10.1088/0004-6256/140/4/962en_US
dc.identifier.issn0004-6256en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2152/34549
dc.language.isoEnglishen_US
dc.relation.ispartofserialAstronomical Journalen_US
dc.rightsAdministrative deposit of works to Texas ScholarWorks: This works author(s) is or was a University faculty member, student or staff member; this article is already available through open access or the publisher allows a PDF version of the article to be freely posted online. The library makes the deposit as a matter of fair use (for scholarly, educational, and research purposes), and to preserve the work and further secure public access to the works of the University.en_US
dc.subjectdark matteren_US
dc.subjectgalaxies: dwarfen_US
dc.subjectgalaxies: evolutionen_US
dc.subjectgalaxies: halosen_US
dc.subjectgalaxies: interactionsen_US
dc.subjectgalaxies: structureen_US
dc.subjectdigital sky surveyen_US
dc.subjectmilky-wayen_US
dc.subjectdwarf galaxyen_US
dc.subjectdark-matteren_US
dc.subjectngc 5907en_US
dc.subjecthaloen_US
dc.subjectsubstructureen_US
dc.subjectsagittariusen_US
dc.subjectstarsen_US
dc.subjectdisken_US
dc.subjectastronomy & astrophysicsen_US
dc.titleStellar Tidal Streams In Spiral Galaxies Of The Local Volume: A Pilot Survey With Modest Aperture Telescopesen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

Access full-text files

Original bundle

Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
deepwidefield.pdf
Size:
3.57 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Download

Collections

UT Faculty/Researcher Works