Non-equilibrium Bayesian modelling of the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy and its tidal stream
Raphaël Errani · 2015
Recent studies have shown that the distribution of Dark Matter within dwarf spheroidal galaxies can be constrained by measuring simultaneously dynamical properties of the remnant progenitor and its stellar tidal stream. We apply this method to determine the distribution of Dark Matter within the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy. Because of the current position of the Sagittarius dwarf along its orbit in proximity to pericentre, it is perturbed by tidal forces and not in dynamical equilibrium. We build a catalogue of high-resolution, non-equilibrium N-body models for the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy and construct a Bayesian framework to directly compare the models to observational data.