Statistical Methods in the Search for Stellar Halos and Tidal Debris Around Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies
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Date
2023-11-29
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Abstract
Dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) are among the most dark matter-dominated and faintest galaxies known, serving as an ideal testing ground for understanding the nature of dark matter on the smallest cosmological scales. To date, much of the focus has been on the kinematics of the dSphs’ inner regions, comparing observed populations with predictions from cosmological simulations. However, the dSphs’ outer regions also offer valuable insights, potentially constraining both their formation histories and the nature of dark matter. Studying these outer regions has proven challenging, primarily due to the complications of identifying dSph members using only photometry.
This dissertation introduces a novel method to identify candidate member stars in the outer regions of dSphs, relying solely on spatial and proper motion data. In Chapter 2, we detail our classification method using the Gaia EDR3 data, aiming to identify potential member stars of six classical dSphs located beyond their King limiting radius. Chapter 3 pivots to a follow-up radial velocity observing run, focusing on one of the candidate members identified earlier. Lastly, Chapter 4 elaborates on the enhancements we made to our identification method, complemented by a thorough statistical evaluation assessing the efficacy of our method in pinpointing member stars of dSphs at extended radii.
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Astronomy, Statistics