Dark Matter in the Milky Way's Dwarf Spheroidal Satellites

TL;DR

This paper reviews how the structure and kinematics of dwarf spheroidal galaxies around the Milky Way inform our understanding of dark matter's distribution and nature, highlighting current constraints and future research directions.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive review of empirical constraints on dark matter in dwarf spheroidal galaxies and discusses implications for cosmology and particle physics.

Findings

Dwarf spheroidals show large discrepancies between dynamical and luminous mass.

Empirical data constrains dark matter distribution in these galaxies.

Implications for dark matter particle properties are discussed.

Abstract

The Milky Way's dwarf spheroidal satellites include the nearest, smallest and least luminous galaxies known. They also exhibit the largest discrepancies between dynamical and luminous masses. This article reviews the development of empirical constraints on the structure and kinematics of dSph stellar populations and discusses how this phenomenology translates into constraints on the amount and distribution of dark matter within dSphs. Some implications for cosmology and the particle nature of dark matter are discussed, and some topics/questions for future study are identified.