Astronomy and Astrophysics – Astronomy
Scientific paper
Dec 2007
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2007aas...211.9508g&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #211, #95.08; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 39, p.895
Astronomy and Astrophysics
Astronomy
Scientific paper
Several low-mass satellites of the Milky Way exhibit a correlation between star formation history and distance from our Galaxy. In particular, the fraction of intermediate-age stellar populations increases with increasing Galactocentric distance, which has been attributed to preferential ram pressure stripping, tidal stripping, or photoevaporation of the star-forming ISM of the closer companions (van den Bergh 1994). This correlation has been interpreted as showing that the present-day locations of the dwarfs are typical of where these objects spent much of their lives, and that environment is a governing factor in dwarf galaxy evolution. We have tested the general validity of this scenario through a comprehensive study of the low-mass companions of M31, which span a similar range of distances as the Galactic ones. Largely based on data from the Hubble Space Telescope, our study reveals that no such distance -- intermediate-age-fraction trend is found for the M31 companions. Revisiting the Milky Way, we find that the recently discovered Galactic companions, which are mainly extremely low-luminosity, low-surface brightness objects, also defy this trend. These new dwarfs essentially seem all to be dominated by old populations regardless of their distance. This would seem to support a picture in which intrinsic properties -- such as the initial baryon content -- may be just as important in determining the evolution of these galaxies.
Gallagher Jay S.
Grebel Eva Katharina
Harbeck Daniel
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