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arXiv 0908.2627astro-ph.COastro-ph.GA
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通过冷晕子结构深入了解Milky Way的形成。I. Milky Way地层的ECHOS

Insight Into the Formation of the Milky Way Through Cold Halo Substructure. I. The ECHOS of Milky Way Formation

Kevin C. Schlaufman, Constance M. Rockosi, Timothy C. Beers, Dmitry Bizyaev, Howard Brewington, Young Sun Lee, Viktor Malanushenko, Elena Malanushenko, Dan Orav… 展开作者

Kevin C. Schlaufman, Constance M. Rockosi, Timothy C. Beers, Dmitry Bizyaev, Howard Brewington, Young Sun Lee, Viktor Malanushenko, Elena Malanushenko, Dan Oravetz, Kaike Pan, Audrey Simmons, Stephanie Snedden, Brian Yanny

摘要:

我们确定了10 - 7的第一次-冷晕子结构(ECHOS)的元素在17.5千秒差距内的太阳在银河系的内晕的体积。我们的结果是基于观测到的空间和径向速度分布的金属贫主序星关闭(MPMSTO)在137斯隆扩展银河系理解和探索(SEGUE)的视线。我们指出,所观察到的径向速度分布是一致的银河系的内晕整体的平滑恒星组成部分,但不同意显着的径向速度,对应于我们的检测。我们表明,我们所有的检测是统计上显着的,我们希望没有误报。我们还使用我们的检测和完整性估计推断出一个正式的上限为0.34 +/- 0.02的分数的MPMSTO人口的内晕,属于ECHOS。我们的探测结果和完整性计算表明,在内晕中存在着大量的低超密度ECHOS,我们预测内晕的1/3(按体积计算)中存在着MPMSTO恒星数密度n ~ 15 kpc^-3的ECHOS。ECHOS可能比已知的表面亮度子结构更古老,因此我们的探测为我们提供了一个直接测量银河系在尚未充分探索的区域和时间间隔内的吸积历史的方法。与以前的研究相一致,我们的结果表明,合并活动的水平在过去的几个Gyr中大致保持不变,并且在那个时间间隔内没有质量超过银河系质量百分之几的单个恒星系统的吸积。(节略)

英文摘要:

We identify ten -- seven for the first time -- elements of cold halo substructure (ECHOS) in the volume within 17.5 kpc of the Sun in the inner halo of the Milky Way. Our result is based on the observed spatial and radial velocity distribution of metal-poor main sequence turnoff (MPMSTO) stars in 137 Sloan Extension for Galactic Understanding and Exploration (SEGUE) lines of sight. We point out that the observed radial velocity distribution is consistent with a smooth stellar component of the Milky Way's inner halo overall, but disagrees significantly at the radial velocities that correspond to our detections. We show that all of our detections are statistically significant and that we expect no false positives. We also use our detections and completeness estimates to infer a formal upper limit of 0.34 +/- 0.02 on the fraction of the MPMSTO population in the inner halo that belong to ECHOS. Our detections and completeness calculations suggest that there is a significant population of low fractional overdensity ECHOS in the inner halo, and we predict that 1/3 of the inner halo (by volume) harbors ECHOS with MPMSTO star number densities n ~ 15 kpc^-3. ECHOS are likely older than known surface brightness substructure, so our detections provide us with a direct measure of the accretion history of the Milky Way in a region and time interval that has yet to be fully explored. In concert with previous studies, our result suggests that the level of merger activity has been roughly constant over the past few Gyr and that there has been no accretion of single stellar systems more massive than a few percent of a Milky Way mass in that interval. (abridged)

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