Streams on FIRE: Populations of Detectable Stellar Streams in the Milky Way and FIRE
We present the first detailed comparison of populations of dwarf galaxy stellar streams in cosmological simulations and the Milky Way. In particular, we compare streams identified around 13 Milky Way analogs in the FIRE-2 simulations to streams observed by the Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic S...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2023-01-01
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| Series: | The Astrophysical Journal |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acc582 |
| _version_ | 1827827088342646784 |
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| author | Nora Shipp Nondh Panithanpaisal Lina Necib Robyn Sanderson Denis Erkal Ting S. Li Isaiah B. Santistevan Andrew Wetzel Lara R. Cullinane Alexander P. Ji Sergey E. Koposov Kyler Kuehn Geraint F. Lewis Andrew B. Pace Daniel B. Zucker Joss Bland-Hawthorn Emily C. Cunningham Stacy Y. Kim Sophia Lilleengen Jorge Moreno Sanjib Sharma S Collaboration & FIRE Collaboration |
| author_facet | Nora Shipp Nondh Panithanpaisal Lina Necib Robyn Sanderson Denis Erkal Ting S. Li Isaiah B. Santistevan Andrew Wetzel Lara R. Cullinane Alexander P. Ji Sergey E. Koposov Kyler Kuehn Geraint F. Lewis Andrew B. Pace Daniel B. Zucker Joss Bland-Hawthorn Emily C. Cunningham Stacy Y. Kim Sophia Lilleengen Jorge Moreno Sanjib Sharma S Collaboration & FIRE Collaboration |
| author_sort | Nora Shipp |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We present the first detailed comparison of populations of dwarf galaxy stellar streams in cosmological simulations and the Milky Way. In particular, we compare streams identified around 13 Milky Way analogs in the FIRE-2 simulations to streams observed by the Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey ( S ^5 ). For an accurate comparison, we produce mock Dark Energy Survey (DES) observations of the FIRE streams and estimate the detectability of their tidal tails and progenitors. The number and stellar mass distributions of detectable stellar streams is consistent between observations and simulations. However, there are discrepancies in the distributions of pericenters and apocenters, with the detectable FIRE streams, on average, forming at larger pericenters (out to >110 kpc) and surviving only at larger apocenters (≳40 kpc) than those observed in the Milky Way. We find that the population of high-stellar-mass dwarf galaxy streams in the Milky Way is incomplete. Interestingly, a large fraction of the FIRE streams would only be detected as intact satellites in DES-like observations, since their tidal tails have too low surface brightness to be detectable. We thus predict a population of yet-undetected tidal tails around Milky Way satellites, as well as a population of fully undetected low-surface-brightness stellar streams, and estimate their detectability with the Rubin Observatory. Finally, we discuss the causes and implications of the discrepancies between the stream populations in FIRE and the Milky Way, and explore future avenues for tests of satellite disruption in cosmological simulations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T03:22:10Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-115a7d1e312e40538e7b8b7eeb754780 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1538-4357 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T03:22:10Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | IOP Publishing |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Astrophysical Journal |
| spelling | doaj.art-115a7d1e312e40538e7b8b7eeb7547802023-09-03T13:49:29ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572023-01-0194924410.3847/1538-4357/acc582Streams on FIRE: Populations of Detectable Stellar Streams in the Milky Way and FIRENora Shipp0https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2497-091XNondh Panithanpaisal1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5214-8822Lina Necib2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2806-1414Robyn Sanderson3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3939-3297Denis Erkal4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8448-5505Ting S. Li5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9110-6163Isaiah B. Santistevan6Andrew Wetzel7https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0603-8942Lara R. Cullinane8https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8536-0547Alexander P. Ji9https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4863-8842Sergey E. Koposov10https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2644-135XKyler Kuehn11https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0120-0808Geraint F. Lewis12https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3081-9319Andrew B. Pace13https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6021-8760Daniel B. Zucker14https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1124-8477Joss Bland-Hawthorn15https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7516-4016Emily C. Cunningham16https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6993-0826Stacy Y. Kim17https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7052-6647Sophia Lilleengen18https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9046-691XJorge Moreno19https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3430-3232Sanjib Sharma20https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0920-809XS Collaboration & FIRE CollaborationMIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research , 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA ; nshipp@mit.eduDepartment of Physics & Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania , 209 S 33rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USAMIT Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research , 77 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, MA 02139, USA ; nshipp@mit.edu; Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology , Cambridge, MA 02139, USADepartment of Physics & Astronomy, University of Pennsylvania , 209 S 33rd St., Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Center for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute , 162 5th Ave., New York, NY 10010, USADepartment of Physics, University of Surrey , Guildford, GU2 7XH, UKDepartment of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Toronto , 50 St. George St., Toronto, ON, M5S 3H4, CanadaDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Davis, CA 95616, USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy, University of California , Davis, CA 95616, USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Johns Hopkins University , 3400 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21218, USADepartment of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Chicago , 5640 S. Ellis Ave., Chicago, IL 60637, USA; Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics, University of Chicago , Chicago, IL 60637, USAInstitute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh , Royal Observatory, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh, EH9 3HJ, UK; Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge , Madingley Rd., Cambridge, CB3 0HA, UK; Kavli Institute for Cosmology, University of Cambridge , Madingley Rd., Cambridge, CB3 0HA, UKLowell Observatory , 1400 W Mars Hill Rd., Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA; Australian Astronomical Optics, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University , Macquarie Park, NSW 2113, AustraliaSydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, A28, The University of Sydney , NSW 2006, AustraliaMcWilliams Center for Cosmology, Carnegie Mellon University , 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USASchool of Mathematical and Physical Sciences, Macquarie University , Sydney, NSW 2109, Australia; Macquarie University Research Centre for Astronomy , Astrophysics & Astrophotonics, Sydney, NSW 2109, AustraliaSydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, A28, The University of Sydney , NSW 2006, Australia; Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics in Three Dimensions (ASTRO 3D) , AustraliaCenter for Computational Astrophysics, Flatiron Institute , 162 5th Ave., New York, NY 10010, USADepartment of Physics, University of Surrey , Guildford, GU2 7XH, UKDepartment of Physics, University of Surrey , Guildford, GU2 7XH, UKDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Pomona College , Claremont, CA 91711, USA; Downing College, University of Cambridge , Cambridge, CB3 OHA, UKSydney Institute for Astronomy, School of Physics, A28, The University of Sydney , NSW 2006, Australia; Centre of Excellence for All-Sky Astrophysics in Three Dimensions (ASTRO 3D) , AustraliaWe present the first detailed comparison of populations of dwarf galaxy stellar streams in cosmological simulations and the Milky Way. In particular, we compare streams identified around 13 Milky Way analogs in the FIRE-2 simulations to streams observed by the Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey ( S ^5 ). For an accurate comparison, we produce mock Dark Energy Survey (DES) observations of the FIRE streams and estimate the detectability of their tidal tails and progenitors. The number and stellar mass distributions of detectable stellar streams is consistent between observations and simulations. However, there are discrepancies in the distributions of pericenters and apocenters, with the detectable FIRE streams, on average, forming at larger pericenters (out to >110 kpc) and surviving only at larger apocenters (≳40 kpc) than those observed in the Milky Way. We find that the population of high-stellar-mass dwarf galaxy streams in the Milky Way is incomplete. Interestingly, a large fraction of the FIRE streams would only be detected as intact satellites in DES-like observations, since their tidal tails have too low surface brightness to be detectable. We thus predict a population of yet-undetected tidal tails around Milky Way satellites, as well as a population of fully undetected low-surface-brightness stellar streams, and estimate their detectability with the Rubin Observatory. Finally, we discuss the causes and implications of the discrepancies between the stream populations in FIRE and the Milky Way, and explore future avenues for tests of satellite disruption in cosmological simulations.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acc582Stellar streamsMilky Way GalaxyMilky Way dynamicsAstronomical simulationsDwarf galaxiesTidal disruption |
| spellingShingle | Nora Shipp Nondh Panithanpaisal Lina Necib Robyn Sanderson Denis Erkal Ting S. Li Isaiah B. Santistevan Andrew Wetzel Lara R. Cullinane Alexander P. Ji Sergey E. Koposov Kyler Kuehn Geraint F. Lewis Andrew B. Pace Daniel B. Zucker Joss Bland-Hawthorn Emily C. Cunningham Stacy Y. Kim Sophia Lilleengen Jorge Moreno Sanjib Sharma S Collaboration & FIRE Collaboration Streams on FIRE: Populations of Detectable Stellar Streams in the Milky Way and FIRE The Astrophysical Journal Stellar streams Milky Way Galaxy Milky Way dynamics Astronomical simulations Dwarf galaxies Tidal disruption |
| title | Streams on FIRE: Populations of Detectable Stellar Streams in the Milky Way and FIRE |
| title_full | Streams on FIRE: Populations of Detectable Stellar Streams in the Milky Way and FIRE |
| title_fullStr | Streams on FIRE: Populations of Detectable Stellar Streams in the Milky Way and FIRE |
| title_full_unstemmed | Streams on FIRE: Populations of Detectable Stellar Streams in the Milky Way and FIRE |
| title_short | Streams on FIRE: Populations of Detectable Stellar Streams in the Milky Way and FIRE |
| title_sort | streams on fire populations of detectable stellar streams in the milky way and fire |
| topic | Stellar streams Milky Way Galaxy Milky Way dynamics Astronomical simulations Dwarf galaxies Tidal disruption |
| url | https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/acc582 |
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