Galaxy X[1][2] is a postulated dark satellite dwarf galaxy of the Milky Way Galaxy. If it exists, it would be composed mostly of dark matter and interstellar gas with few stars.[1][3] Its proposed location is some 90 kpc (290 kly) from the Sun,[1][3][4] behind the disk of the Milky Way,[1] and some 12 kpc (39 kly) in extent.[4] Galactic coordinates would be (l= -27.4°,b=-1.08°).[4]
Discovery
editObservational evidence for this galaxy was presented in 2015,[5] based on the claimed discovery of four Cepheid variable stars by Sukanya Chakrabarti (RIT) and collaborators.[4] Search for the stars was motivated by an earlier study [6] that linked a warp in the HI (atomic hydrogen) disk of the Milky Way Galaxy to the tidal effects of a perturbing galaxy.[3][7] The unseen perturber's mass was calculated to be about 1%[NB 1] of that of the Milky Way,[8] which would make it the third heaviest satellite of the Milky Way, after the Magellanic Clouds (Large Magellanic Cloud and Small Magellanic Cloud, each some 10x larger than Galaxy X).[1] In this hypothetical model, the putative satellite galaxy would have interacted with the Milky Way some 600 million years ago, coming as close as 5–10 kpc (16–33 kly), and would now be moving away from the Milky Way.[4][7][8]
Name
editThe name "Galaxy X" was coined in 2011 in analogy to Planet X.[2] [9]
Controversy
editIn November 2015, a group led by P. Pietrukowicz published a paper arguing against the existence of Galaxy X. These authors argued that the four stars were not actually Cepheid variable stars and that their distances might be very different than claimed in the discovery paper of Chakrabarti et al. On this basis, the authors stated that "there is no evidence for a background dwarf galaxy".[10] However the galaxy is still regarded to exist by others, with the stars being examined to be actual Cepheids.[11]
List of components
editList of claimed components of Galaxy X
| Component | Type | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| VVV J162559.36-522234.0 | Cepheid variable | about 100 million years old | [4] |
| VVV J162328.18-513230.4 | Cepheid | about 100 million years old | [4] |
| VVV J162119.39-520233.3 | Cepheid | about 100 million years old | [4] |
| VVV J161542.47-494439.0 | Cepheid | about 100 million years old | [4] |
Footnotes
edit- ^ approximately 10 billion solar masses
References
edit- ^ a b c d e A. Lovett, Richard (14 January 2011). "Dark-Matter Galaxy Detected: Hidden Dwarf Lurks Nearby?". National Geographic. Archived from the original on January 16, 2011.
- ^ a b Dillow, Clay (13 January 2011). "'Galaxy X,' an Invisible Satellite Made of Dark Matter, Could be Lurking at the Milky Way's Edge". Popular Science.
- ^ a b c "Lifting the veil on a dark galaxy". Science Daily. 6 February 2015.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Chakrabarti et al. 2015
- ^ Boyle, Alan (6 February 2015). "Dark Matter Hunters Suspect They've Found 'Galaxy X'". NBC News.
- ^ Algar, Jim (8 February 2015). "Mysterious Galaxy X Found Finally? Dark Matter Hunters Would Like To Believe So". Tech Times.
- ^ a b c Chakrabarti & Blitz 2009
- ^ a b c Chakrabarti & Blitz 2011
- ^ Boyle, Alan (13 January 2011). "Astronomers search for 'Galaxy X'". Cosmic Log. NBC News.
- ^ a b Pietrukowicz, P.; Udalski, A.; Szymański, M. K.; et al. (November 2015). "No Evidence for Classical Cepheids and a New Dwarf Galaxy Behind the Galactic Disk". The Astrophysical Journal. 813 (2): L40. arXiv:1510.08457. Bibcode:2015ApJ...813L..40P. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/813/2/L40. ISSN 2041-8213. S2CID 118318255.
- ^ The Dark Mystery of Galaxy X. SciShow Space. 5 July 2016 – via YouTube.
Further reading
edit- Chakrabarti, Sukanya; Blitz, Leo (October 2009). "Tidal imprints of a dark subhalo on the outskirts of the Milky Way". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters. 399 (1): L118–L122. arXiv:0908.0334. Bibcode:2009MNRAS.399L.118C. doi:10.1111/j.1745-3933.2009.00735.x. ISSN 1745-3933.
- Chakrabarti, Sukanya; Blitz, Leo (April 2011). "Tidal Imprints of a Dark Sub-halo on the Outskirts of the Milky Way. II. Perturber Azimuth". The Astrophysical Journal. 731 (1): 40. arXiv:1007.1982. Bibcode:2011ApJ...731...40C. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/731/1/40. ISSN 0004-637X.
- Chakrabarti, Sukanya; Saito, Roberto; Quillen, Alice; Gran, Felipe; Klein, Christopher; Blitz, Leo (19 March 2015). "Clustered Cepheid Variables 90 Kiloparsecs from the Galactic Center". The Astrophysical Journal. 802 (1): L4. arXiv:1502.01358. Bibcode:2015ApJ...802L...4C. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/802/1/L4. ISSN 2041-8213.
- Huang, Caroline (16 November 2015). "Looking for Dwarf Galaxies with Cepheids: A Cautionary Tale". Astrobites.