Evidence for a Triaxial Milky Way Dark Matter Halo from the Sagittarius Stellar Tidal Stream

TL;DR

This study uses the Sagittarius stellar tidal stream to provide the first conclusive evidence that the Milky Way's dark matter halo is triaxial, with specific axis ratios and orientation, resolving previous conflicting models.

Contribution

The paper introduces a triaxial halo model that fits all observed phase space constraints from the Sagittarius stream, demonstrating the halo's triaxial shape and orientation.

Findings

Milky Way dark matter halo is triaxial with specific axis ratios.

The minor axis aligns with the Galactic X axis within 15 degrees.

The major axis lies approximately along the Galactic Y axis.

Abstract

Observations of the lengthy tidal streams produced by the destruction of the Sagittarius dwarf spheroidal (Sgr dSph) are capable of providing strong constraints on the shape of the Galactic gravitational potential. However, previous work, based on modeling different stream properties in axisymmetric Galactic models has yielded conflicting results: while the angular precession of the Sgr leading arm is most consistent with a spherical or slightly oblate halo, the radial velocities of stars in this arm are only reproduced by prolate halo models. We demonstrate that this apparent paradox can be resolved by instead adopting a triaxial potential. Our new Galactic halo model, which simultaneously fits all well-established phase space constraints from the Sgr stream, provides the first conclusive evidence for, and tentative measurement of, triaxiality in an individual dark matter halo. The Milky Way halo within ~ 60 kpc is best characterized by a minor/major axis ratio of the isovelocity contours c/a ~ 0.67, intermediate/major axis ratio b/a ~ 0.83, and triaxiality parameter T ~ 0.56. In this model, the minor axis of the dark halo is coincident with the Galactic X axis connecting the Sun and the Galactic Center to within ~ 15 degrees, while the major axis also lies in the Galactic plane, approximately along the Galactic Y axis.