Proper motions of Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies I: First ground-based results for Fornax

TL;DR

This paper reports the first ground-based measurement of the proper motion of the Fornax dwarf galaxy using a quasar as a reference, achieving accuracy comparable to space-based data and paving the way for better orbital constraints.

Contribution

It introduces a new ground-based methodology for measuring dwarf galaxy proper motions with high precision using background quasars as references.

Findings

Proper motion of Fornax determined as (0.64 ± 0.08, -0.01 ± 0.11) mas/yr.

Measurement errors comparable to HST-based results.

Systematic effects like magnitude or color do not significantly affect the measurement.

Abstract

In this paper we present in detail the methodology and the first results of a ground-based program to determine the absolute proper motion of the Fornax dwarf spheroidal galaxy. The proper motion was determined using bona-fide Fornax star members measured with respect to a fiducial at-rest background spectroscopically confirmed Quasar, \qso. Our homogeneous measurements, based on this one Quasar gives a value of (\mua,\mud)$ = (0.64 \pm 0.08, -0.01 \pm 0.11)$ \masy. There are only two other (astrometric) determinations for the transverse motion of Fornax: one based on a combination of plates and HST data, and another (of higher internal precision) based on HST data. We show that our proper motion errors are similar to those derived from HST measurements on individual QSOs. We provide evidence that, as far as we can determine it, our motion is not affected by magnitude, color, or other potential systematic effects. Last epoch measurements and reductions are underway for other four Quasar fields of this galaxy, which, when combined, should yield proper motions with a weighted mean error of $\sim50\,\mu$as y$^{-1}$, allowing us to place important constraints on the orbit of Fornax.