Triangulum II. Not Especially Dense After All

• Published in: The Astrophysical journal Vol. 838; no. 2; p. 83
• Main Authors: Kirby, Evan N., Cohen, Judith G., Simon, Joshua D., Guhathakurta, Puragra, Thygesen, Anders O., Duggan, Gina E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia IOP Publishing 01.04.2017
• Subjects: Abundance; Astrophysics; ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; BINARY STARS; Dark matter; Deimos; DETECTION; Dispersion; DISPERSIONS; Dwarf galaxies; Ejecta; Globular clusters; MASS; METALLICITY; MILKY WAY; NEUTRON REACTIONS; NONLUMINOUS MATTER; Nuclear capture; RADIAL VELOCITY; SATELLITES; STAR CLUSTERS; Stars & galaxies; Stellar mass; Supernova; Velocity
• ISSN: 0004-637X; 1538-4357
• DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/aa6570

Abstract Among the Milky Way satellites discovered in the past three years, Triangulum II has presented the most difficulty in revealing its dynamical status. Kirby et al. identified it as the most dark-matter-dominated galaxy known, with a mass-to-light ratio within the half-light radius of . On the other hand, Martin et al. measured an outer velocity dispersion that is 3.5 ± 2.1 times larger than the central velocity dispersion, suggesting that the system might not be in equilibrium. From new multi-epoch Keck/DEIMOS measurements of 13 member stars in Triangulum II, we constrain the velocity dispersion to be km s −1 (90% C.L.). Our previous measurement of , based on six stars, was inflated by the presence of a binary star with variable radial velocity. We find no evidence that the velocity dispersion increases with radius. The stars display a wide range of metallicities, indicating that Triangulum II retained supernova ejecta and therefore possesses, or once possessed, a massive dark matter halo. However, the detection of a metallicity dispersion hinges on the membership of the two most metal-rich stars. The stellar mass is lower than galaxies of similar mean stellar metallicity, which might indicate that Triangulum II is either a star cluster or a tidally stripped dwarf galaxy. Detailed abundances of one star show heavily depressed neutron-capture abundances, similar to stars in most other ultra-faint dwarf galaxies but unlike stars in globular clusters.