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arXiv 0709.2076astro-ph
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星系晕的恒星含量:LambdaCDM模型与M31观测的比较

The Stellar Content of Galaxy Halos: A Comparison between LambdaCDM Models and Observations of M31

Andreea S. Font, Kathryn V. Johnston, Annette M. N. Ferguson, James S. Bullock, Brant E. Robertson, Jason Tumlinson, Puragra Guhathakurta

摘要:

最近的观测表明,仙女座(M31)恒星晕的大部分区域都存在高表面亮度、富含金属的碎片。我们使用一组数值模型,以确定是否扩展的金属丰富的碎片预计存在于星系晕中形成的层次LambdaCDM宇宙。我们确定潮汐碎片的模拟,根据目前最好的表面亮度检测限M31和证明,明亮的功能,在外晕区域通常来自单个卫星,很少有其他来源的污染,由于潮汐流从两个重叠的吸积事件的概率低。相比之下,内晕中的高表面亮度特征通常源自多个祖先。我们还比较了年龄和金属丰度分布的碎片与混合良好的恒星晕,他们居住。我们发现,高表面亮度的潮汐碎屑几乎完全是由质量相对较高的祖先(M星~ 10^7- 10^9 M太阳)产生的,因此预计具有中等至高金属丰度。同样,在我们的模型中,光滑的内晕预计将富含金属,因为该区域主要由大质量卫星组成。我们的研究结果表明,恒星星族的子结构观察外部星系与现有技术不应该像旧的和贫金属的矮球状卫星,也不是恒星晕的基本组成部分。

英文摘要:

Recent observations have revealed that high surface-brightness, metal-rich debris is present over large regions of the Andromeda (M31) stellar halo. We use a set of numerical models to determine whether extended metal-rich debris is expected to exist in galaxy halos formed in a hierarchical LambdaCDM universe. We identify tidal debris in the simulations according to the current best surface brightness detection limits in M31 and demonstrate that bright features in the outer halo regions usually originate from single satellites, with very little contamination from other sources due to the low probability of tidal streams from two overlapping accretion events. In contrast, high-surface brightness features in the inner halo often originate from multiple progenitors. We also compare the age and metallicity distribution of the debris with the well-mixed stellar halos in which they reside. We find that high-surface brightness tidal debris is produced almost exclusively by relatively high mass progenitors (Mstar ~ 10^7- 10^9 Msun) and thus is expected to be of moderate- to high-metallicity. Similarly, in our models the smooth inner halo is expected to be metal-rich as this region has been built up mainly from massive satellites. Our results imply that the stellar populations of substructure observed around external galaxies with current techniques should not resemble old and metal-poor dwarf spheroidal satellites, nor the underlying component of the stellar halo.

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