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The dwarf galaxy companions to the Milky Way are unique cosmological laboratories. With luminosities as low as 10-7 LMW, they inhabit the lowest mass dark matter halos known to host stars and are presently the most direct tracers of the distribution, mass spectrum, and clustering scale of dark matter. Their resolved stellar populations also facilitate detailed studies of their history and mass content. To fully exploit this potential requires a well-defined census of virtually invisible galaxies to the faintest possible limits and to the largest possible distances. I review the past and present impacts of survey astronomy on the census of Milky Way dwarf galaxy companions and discuss the future of finding ultra-faint dwarf galaxies around the Milky Way and beyond in wide-field survey data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use a multimillion particleN-body+ smooth particle hydrodynamics (SPH) simulation to follow the formation of a rich galaxy cluster in aΛ-cold dark matter (ΛCDM) cosmology, with the goal of understanding the origin and properties of intracluster stars. The simulation includes gas cooling, star formation, the effects of a uniform ultraviolet background and feedback from supernovae. Haloes that host galaxies as faint asare resolved by this simulation, which includes 85 per cent of the total galaxy luminosity in a rich cluster. We find that the accumulation of intracluster light (ICL) is an ongoing process, linked to infall and stripping events. The unbound star fraction varies with time between 10 and 22 per cent of the total amount of cluster stars, with an overall trend to increase with time. The fraction is 20 per cent at, consistent with observations of galaxy clusters. The surface brightness profile of the cD galaxy shows an excess compared with a de Vaucouleur profile near 200 kpc, which is also consistent with observations. Both massive and small galaxies contribute to the formation of the ICL, with stars stripped preferentially from the outer, lower-metallicity parts of their stellar distributions. Simulated observations of planetary nebulae (PNe) show significant substructure in velocity space, tracing separate streams of stripped intracluster stars. Despite an unrelaxed distribution, individual intracluster PNe might be useful mass tracers if more than five fields at a range of radii have measured line-of-sight velocities, where an accurate mass calculation depends more on the number of fields than the number of PNe measured per field. However, the orbits of intracluster stars are more anisotropic than those of galaxies or dark matter, which leads to a systematic underestimate of cluster mass relative to that calculated with galaxies, if not accounted for in dynamical models. Overall, the properties of ICL formed in a hierarchical scenario are in good agreement with current observations, supporting a model where ICL originates from the dynamical evolution of galaxies in dense environments. ICL should thus be ubiquitous in galaxy clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) photometry of the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy Eridanus II (Eri II). Eri II, which has an absolute magnitude of MV = −7.1, is located at a distance of 339 kpc, just beyond the virial radius of the Milky Way. We determine the star formation history of Eri II and measure the structure of the galaxy and its star cluster. We find that a star formation history consisting of two bursts, constrained to match the spectroscopic metallicity distribution of the galaxy, accurately describes the Eri II stellar population. The best-fit model implies a rapid truncation of star formation at early times, with >80% of the stellar mass in place before z ∼ 6. A small fraction of the stars could be as young as 8 Gyr, but this population is not statistically significant; Monte Carlo simulations recover a component younger than 9 Gyr only 15% of the time, where they represent an average of 7 ± 4% of the population. These results are consistent with theoretical expectations for quenching by reionization. The HST depth and angular resolution enable us to show that Eri II's cluster is offset from the center of the galaxy by a projected distance of 23 ± 3 pc. This offset could be an indication of a small (∼50–75 pc) dark matter core in Eri II. Moreover, we demonstrate that the cluster has a high ellipticity of and is aligned with the orientation of Eri II within 3° ± 6°, likely due to tides. The stellar population of the cluster is indistinguishable from that of Eri II itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ultrafaint dwarf galaxy Hercules has an extremely elongated morphology with both photometric overdensities and kinematic members at large radii, suggesting that it may be tidally disrupting due to a previous close encounter with the Milky Way. To explain its observational peculiarities, we present a deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging study of Hercules and its surrounding regions and investigate its tidal history through a careful search for a distance gradient along its stretched body. Our off-center HST data clearly resolve a main sequence, showing that the stellar extension seen along the major axis of Hercules is genuine, not a clump of background galaxies. Utilizing Gaia DR2 data, we clean the region around the Hercules of field contamination, and find four new plausible member stars, all of which are located on the outskirts of the dwarf galaxy. We update the distance to Hercules, and find 130.6 ± 6.1 kpc () for the main body, which is consistent with earlier estimates in the literature. While we find no conclusive evidence for a distance gradient, our work demonstrates that constraining a distance gradient in such a faint system is not trivial, and the possible thickness of the dwarf along the line of sight and field contamination make it harder to make decisive conclusions even with these high-precision data. Future studies coupled with tailored theoretical models are needed to understand the true nature of Hercules and of tidal distortion observables in ultrafaint galaxies in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present new chemo-kinematics of the Hercules dwarf galaxy based on Keck II-DEIMOS spectroscopy. Our 21 confirmed members, including 9 newly confirmed members, have a systemic velocity of v Herc = 46.4 ± 1.3 km s−1 and a velocity dispersion |$\sigma _{v,\mathrm{Herc}}=4.4^{+1.4}_{-1.2}$| km s−1, consistent with previous studies. From the strength of the Ca  ii triplet, we obtain a metallicity of [Fe/H] = −2.48 ± 0.19 dex and dispersion of |$\sigma _{\rm {[Fe/H]}}= 0.63^{+0.18}_{-0.13}$| dex. This result is within 1σ of previous measurements, and makes Hercules a particularly metal-poor galaxy, placing it slightly below the standard mass–metallicity relation. Previous photometric and spectroscopic evidence suggests that Hercules is tidally disrupting and may be on a highly radial orbit. From our identified members, we measure no significant velocity gradient. By cross-matching with the second Gaia data release, we determine an uncertainty-weighted mean proper motion of |$\mu _{\alpha }^*=\mu _{\alpha }\cos (\delta)=-0.153\pm {0.074}$| mas yr−1, μδ = −0.397 ± 0.063 mas yr−1. This proper motion is slightly misaligned with the elongation of Hercules, in contrast to models which suggest that any tidal debris should be well aligned with the orbital path. Future observations may resolve this tension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent discovery of many dwarf satellite galaxies in the direction of the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds (SMC and LMC) provokes questions of their origins, and what they can reveal about galaxy evolution theory. Here, we predict the satellite stellar mass function of Magellanic Cloud-mass host galaxies using abundance matching and reionization models applied to the Caterpillar simulations. Specifically focusing on the volume within 50 kpc of the LMC, we predict a mean of four to eight satellites with stellar mass M* > 104M®, and 105M® (M* > 104M®) within the virial volume of each, and 1-3 (1-7) within a single 1. ° 5 diameter field of view, making their discovery likely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent surge in the discovery of new ultrafaint dwarf satellites of the MilkyWay has inspired the idea of searching for faint satellites, 10³ M⊙ < M* < 106 M⊙, around less massive field galaxies in the Local Group. Such satellites would be subject to weaker environmental influences than MilkyWay satellites, and could lead to new insights on low-mass galaxy formation. In this paper, we predict the number of luminous satellites expected around field dwarf galaxies by applying several abundance-matching models and a reionization model to the dark-matter only Caterpillar simulation suite. For three of the four abundance-matching models used, we find a >99 per cent chance that at least one satellite with stellar mass M* > 105 M⊙ exists around the combined five Local Group field dwarf galaxies with the largest stellar mass. When considering satellites with M* > 104 M⊙, we predict a combined 5-25 satellites for the five largest field dwarfs, and 10-50 for the whole Local Group field dwarf population. Because of the relatively small number of predicted dwarfs, and their extended spatial distribution, a large fraction each Local Group dwarf's virial volume will need to be surveyed to guarantee discoveries. We compute the predicted number of satellites in a given field of view of specific Local Group galaxies, as a function of minimum satellite luminosity, and explicitly obtain such values for the Solitary Local dwarfs survey. Uncertainties in abundance-matching and reionization models are large, implying that comprehensive searches could lead to refinements of both models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a chemodynamical analysis of the Leo V dwarf galaxy, based on the Keck II DEIMOS spectra of eight member stars. We find a systemic velocity for the system of (vr) = 170.9-1.9+2.1 kms-1 and barely resolve a velocity dispersion for the system, with σvr = 2.3-1.6+3.2 kms-1, consistent with previous studies of Leo V. The poorly resolved dispersion means we are unable to adequately constrain the dark-matter content of Leo V. We find an average metallicity for the dwarf of [Fe/H] =-2.48 ± 0.21 and measure a significant spread in the iron abundance of its member stars, with -3.1 ≤ [Fe/H] ≤ -1.9 dex, which clearly identifies Leo V as a dwarf galaxy that has been able to self-enrich its stellar population through extended star formation. Owing to the tentative photometric evidence for the tidal substructure around Leo V, we also investigate whether there is any evidence for tidal stripping or shocking of the system within its dynamics. We measure a significant velocity gradient across the system, of dv/dx = -4.1-2.6+2.8 kms-1 arcmin-1 (or dv/dx = -71.9-45.6+50.8 kms-1 kpc-1), which points almost directly towards the Galactic Centre. We argue that Leo V is likely a dwarf on the brink of dissolution, having just barely survived a past encounter with the centre of the Milky Way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using high-resolution cosmological hydrodynamical simulations of Milky Way-massed disk galaxies, we demonstrate that supernovae feedback and tidal stripping lower the central masses of bright (–15 < MV < –8) satellite galaxies. These simulations resolve high-density regions, comparable to giant molecular clouds, where stars form. This resolution allows us to adopt a prescription for H2 formation and destruction that ties star formation to the presence of shielded, molecular gas. Before infall, supernova feedback from the clumpy, bursty star formation captured by this physically motivated model leads to reduced dark matter (DM) densities and shallower inner density profiles in the massive satellite progenitors (Mvir ⩾ 109M☼, M* ⩾ 107M☼) compared with DM-only simulations. The progenitors of the lower mass satellites are unable to maintain bursty star formation histories, due to both heating at reionization and gas loss from initial star-forming events, preserving the steep inner density profile predicted by DM-only simulations. After infall, gas stripping from satellites reduces the total central masses of satellites simulated with DM+baryons relative to DM-only satellites. Additionally, enhanced tidal stripping after infall due to the baryonic disk acts to further reduce the central DM densities of the luminous satellites. Satellites that enter with cored DM halos are particularly vulnerable to the tidal effects of the disk, exacerbating the discrepancy in the central masses predicted by baryon+DM and DM-only simulations. We show that DM-only simulations, which neglect the highly non-adiabatic evolution of baryons described in this work, produce denser satellites with larger central velocities. We provide a simple correction to the central DM mass predicted for satellites by DM-only simulations. We conclude that DM-only simulations should be used with great caution when interpreting kinematic observations of the Milky Way's dwarf satellites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ground-based optical surveys such as PanSTARRS, DES, and LSST will produce large catalogs to limiting magnitudes of r ≳ 24. Star-galaxy separation poses a major challenge to such surveys because galaxies—even very compact galaxies—outnumber halo stars at these depths. We investigate photometric classification techniques on stars and galaxies with intrinsic FWHM <0.2 arcsec. We consider unsupervised spectral energy distribution template fitting and supervised, data-driven support vector machines (SVMs). For template fitting, we use a maximum likelihood (ML) method and a new hierarchical Bayesian (HB) method, which learns the prior distribution of template probabilities from the data. SVM requires training data to classify unknown sources; ML and HB do not. We consider (1) a best-case scenario (SVMbest) where the training data are (unrealistically) a random sampling of the data in both signal-to-noise and demographics and (2) a more realistic scenario where training is done on higher signal-to-noise data (SVMreal) at brighter apparent magnitudes. Testing with COSMOS ugriz data, we find that HB outperforms ML, delivering ∼80% completeness, with purity of ∼60%-90% for both stars and galaxies. We find that no algorithm delivers perfect performance and that studies of metal-poor main-sequence turnoff stars may be challenged by poor star-galaxy separation. Using the Receiver Operating Characteristic curve, we find a best-to-worst ranking of SVMbest, HB, ML, and SVMreal. We conclude, therefore, that a well-trained SVM will outperform template-fitting methods. However, a normally trained SVM performs worse. Thus, HB template fitting may prove to be the optimal classification method in future surveys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present deep wide-field photometry of three recently discovered faint Milky Way (MW) satellites: Leo V, Pisces II, and Canes Venatici II. Our main goals are to study the structure and star formation history of these dwarfs; we also search for signs of tidal disturbance. The three satellites have similar half-light radii (∼60-90 pc) but a wide range of ellipticities. Both Leo V and CVn II show hints of stream-like overdensities at large radii. An analysis of the satellite color-magnitude diagrams shows that all three objects are old (>10 Gyr) and metal-poor ([Fe/H] ∼ –2), though neither the models nor the data have sufficient precision to assess when the satellites formed with respect to cosmic reionization. The lack of an observed younger stellar population (≲ 10 Gyr) possibly sets them apart from the other satellites at Galactocentric distances ≳ 150 kpc. We present a new compilation of structural data for all MW satellite galaxies and use it to compare the properties of classical dwarfs to the ultra-faints. The ellipticity distribution of the two groups is consistent at the ∼2σ level. However, the faintest satellites tend to be more aligned toward the Galactic Center, and those satellites with the highest ellipticity (≳ 0.4) have orientations (ΔθGC) in the range 20° ≲ ΔθGC ≲ 40°. This latter observation is in rough agreement with predictions from simulations of dwarf galaxies that have lost a significant fraction of their dark matter halos and are being tidally stripped. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Milky Way has at least twenty-three known satellite galaxies that shine with luminosities ranging from about a thousand to a billion times that of the Sun. Half of these galaxies were discovered in the past few years in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, and they are among the least luminous galaxies in the known Universe. A determination of the mass of these galaxies provides a test of galaxy formation at the smallest scales and probes the nature of the dark matter that dominates the mass density of the Universe. Here we use new measurements of the velocities of the stars in these galaxies to show that they are consistent with them having a common mass of about 107 within their central 300 parsecs. This result demonstrates that the faintest of the Milky Way satellites are the most dark-matter-dominated galaxies known, and could be a hint of a new scale in galaxy formation or a characteristic scale for the clustering of dark matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]