在宇宙学距离的低质量暗卫星星系的引力检测
S Vegetti1, D J Lagattuta, J P McKean
1Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA. svegetti@space.mit.edu
Nature
|January 20, 2012
概括
天文学家使用引力透镜发现了一个黑暗的卫星星系,其质量与银河系的射手座星系相似,使用引力透镜. 这一发现与对层次星系形成的冷暗物质模拟相一致.
科学领域:
- 宇宙学的宇宙学是什么?
- 天体物理学 天体物理学
- 银河系的形成 星系的形成
背景情况:
- 在观察到的矮卫星星系数和冷暗物质 (CDM) 模拟之间存在差异.
- 地方组可能是一个异常,因为一些观察表明基结构质量分数比预测更高.
- 以前的研究受到了无法检测非常低质量的矮星系的限制.
研究的目的:
- 为了研究局部宇宙之外的星系中基层结构的质量功能.
- 测试关于星系形成的CDM模拟的预测.
- 为了限制暗卫星星系的质量分数和分布.
主要方法:
- 利用引力透镜检测爱因斯坦环系内一个黑暗的卫星星系JVAS B1938+666.6.
- 结合了这个新发现的银河系的数据和以前识别的巨型暗卫星.
- 分析了基结构的质量函数,使用来自两个系统的数据.
主要成果:
- 报告发现了一个暗卫星星系,质量为 (1.9 ± 0.1) × 10^8太阳质量,红移为0.881.1.
- 确定了基结构质量函数的对数斜率为1.1(+0.6)(-0.4).
- 计算了基结构的平均质量分数为3.3(+3.6)(-1.8%.
结论:
- 观测到的基结构的质量函数和质量分数与CDM模拟在95%的置信水平上是一致的.
- 这些发现支持CDM宇宙中等级星系形成模型.
- 这项研究为在更高红移时存在和分布的暗卫星星系提供了关键证据.
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