Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - A new low mass for the Hercules dSph
T2 - the end of a common mass scale for the dwarfs?
AU - Adén, D.
AU - Wilkinson, M. I.
AU - Read, J. I.
AU - Feltzing, S.
AU - Koch, Andreas
AU - Gilmore, G. F.
AU - Grebel, E.K.
AU - Lundström, I.
PY - 2009/11/4
Y1 - 2009/11/4
N2 - We present a new mass estimate for the Hercules dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy, based on the revised velocity dispersion obtained by Adén et al. The removal of a significant foreground contamination using newly acquired Strömgren photometry has resulted in a reduced velocity dispersion. Using this new velocity dispersion of 3.72 ± 0.91 km s-1, we find a mass of M 300 = 1.9+1.1 –0.8 × 106 M ☉ within the central 300 pc, which is also the half-light radius, and a mass of M 433 = 3.7+2.2 –1.6 × 106 M ☉ within the reach of our data to 433 pc, significantly lower than previous estimates. We derive an overall mass-to-light ratio of M 433/L = 103+83 –48[M ☉/L ☉]. Our mass estimate calls into question recent claims of a common mass scale for dSph galaxies. Additionally, we find tentative evidence for a velocity gradient in our kinematic data of 16 ± 3 km s–1 kpc–1, and evidence of an asymmetric extension in the light distribution at ~0.5 kpc. We explore the possibility that these features are due to tidal interactions with the Milky Way. We show that there is a self-consistent model in which Hercules has an assumed tidal radius of rt = 485 pc, an orbital pericenter of rp = 18.5 ± 5 kpc, and a mass within rt of $M_{{\rm tid},r_t}=5.2_{-2.7}^{+2.7} \times 10^6\,M_\odot$. Proper motions are required to test this model. Although we cannot exclude models in which Hercules contains no dark matter, we argue that Hercules is more likely to be a dark-matter-dominated system that is currently experiencing some tidal disturbance of its outer parts.
AB - We present a new mass estimate for the Hercules dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxy, based on the revised velocity dispersion obtained by Adén et al. The removal of a significant foreground contamination using newly acquired Strömgren photometry has resulted in a reduced velocity dispersion. Using this new velocity dispersion of 3.72 ± 0.91 km s-1, we find a mass of M 300 = 1.9+1.1 –0.8 × 106 M ☉ within the central 300 pc, which is also the half-light radius, and a mass of M 433 = 3.7+2.2 –1.6 × 106 M ☉ within the reach of our data to 433 pc, significantly lower than previous estimates. We derive an overall mass-to-light ratio of M 433/L = 103+83 –48[M ☉/L ☉]. Our mass estimate calls into question recent claims of a common mass scale for dSph galaxies. Additionally, we find tentative evidence for a velocity gradient in our kinematic data of 16 ± 3 km s–1 kpc–1, and evidence of an asymmetric extension in the light distribution at ~0.5 kpc. We explore the possibility that these features are due to tidal interactions with the Milky Way. We show that there is a self-consistent model in which Hercules has an assumed tidal radius of rt = 485 pc, an orbital pericenter of rp = 18.5 ± 5 kpc, and a mass within rt of $M_{{\rm tid},r_t}=5.2_{-2.7}^{+2.7} \times 10^6\,M_\odot$. Proper motions are required to test this model. Although we cannot exclude models in which Hercules contains no dark matter, we argue that Hercules is more likely to be a dark-matter-dominated system that is currently experiencing some tidal disturbance of its outer parts.
U2 - 10.1088/0004-637X/706/1/L150
DO - 10.1088/0004-637X/706/1/L150
M3 - Journal article
VL - 706
SP - L150-L154
JO - Astrophysical Journal Letters
JF - Astrophysical Journal Letters
SN - 2041-8205
IS - 1
ER -