Small Dwarf Galaxies within Larger Dwarfs: Why Some Are Luminous while Most Go Dark

• Published in: The Astrophysical journal Vol. 686; no. 2; pp. L61 - L65
• Main Authors: D’Onghia, Elena, Lake, George
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Chicago, IL IOP Publishing 20.10.2008; University of Chicago Press
• Subjects: Astronomy; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; Galaxy clusters; galaxies: formation; galaxies: clusters: general; Dark matter; Galaxy formation; Dwarf galaxies; Cosmology; cosmology: observations

We consider the possibility that the Magellanic Clouds were the largest members of a group of dwarf galaxies that entered the Milky Way (MW) halo at late times. Seven of the eleven brightest satellites of the MW may have been part of this system. The proximity of some dwarfs to the plane of the orbi...