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Projekt
Shaping Our Galaxy Now: The Low-Latitude Stellar Stream around the Milky Way
Antragsteller
Professor Dr. Hans-Walter Rix
Fachliche Zuordnung
Astrophysik und Astronomie
Förderung
Förderung von 2005 bis 2010
Projektkennung
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Projektnummer 5448769
Within the hierarchical framework for galaxy formation, tidal interactions, such as the accretion of small satellites, continue to shape large galaxies to the present day. In our own Milky Way (MW), the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy was found to undergo disruption by the MW’s tides, and the tidal debris has been found all the way around the MW. A second possible stellar stream was identified that seems to encircle the MW at low galactic latitudes (a.k.a. Monoceros, Anti-Center or Low Latitude stream), and a stellar overdensity detected towards the constellation of Canis Major has been identified as a candidate for its (disrupting) progenitor.This research program has been aiming at constructing a comprehensive empirical picture of the Low Latitude stellar stream around the MW and its possible progenitor, the Canis Major stellar overdensity (CMa). In the previous funding period we have developed rigorous 3D and 4D (including [Fe/H]) mapping tools and applied them to predominately SDSS/SEGUE imaging and other wide-field imaging data. On that basis we were able to show that the feature actually encircles much of the Galaxy, that it cannot be modelled as a simple warp or flare, and that it exhibits a distinct stellar metallicity structure. Overall, these results appear to indicate that the MW’s outer disk is indeed in the process of absorbing a significant tidal interaction and incorporating the stellar debris. The research funded by this particular SPP project has resulted in 11 refereed publications with over 250 citations to date.With the work proposed now, we can complete the picture: extensive spectroscopy from SEGUE is now available and we are obtaining comprehensive imaging of the CMa region; PanSTARRS1 will finally overcome the sparse mapping and provide a contiguous map of the apparent ring around our MW’s disk.
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