Velocity Variations in the Phoenix-Hermus Star Stream

TL;DR

This paper investigates how dark matter sub-halos influence velocity variations in the Phoenix-Hermus star stream, demonstrating that detectable perturbations occur mainly from sub-halos above 10^7 solar masses, informing future observational strategies.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed simulation-based analysis of velocity perturbations caused by dark matter sub-halos in the Phoenix-Hermus stream, highlighting the mass threshold for observable effects.

Findings

Sub-halos above 10^7 M_sun cause detectable velocity variations.

On average, about one observable hit per two-armed stream occurs.

Radial velocities are unaffected by distance errors, aiding observational efforts.

Abstract

Measurements of velocity and density perturbations along stellar streams in the Milky Way provide a time integrated measure of dark matter substructure at larger galactic radius than the complementary instantaneous inner halo strong lensing detections of dark matter sub-halos in distant galaxies. An interesting case to consider is the proposed Phoenix-Hermus star stream, which is long, thin and on a nearly circular orbit, making it a particular good target to study for velocity variations along its length. In the presence of dark matter sub-halos the distribution of velocities is significantly perturbed in a manner that is readily understood with the impulse approximation. A set of simulations show that only sub-halos above a few 10^7 M_sun lead to reasonably long lived observationally detectable velocity variations of amplitude of order 1 kms, with an average of about one visible hit per (two-armed) stream. An implication is that globular clusters themselves will not have a visible impact on the stream. Radial velocities have the benefit that they are completely insensitive to distance errors. Distance errors scatter individual star velocities perpendicular and tangential to the mean orbit but their mean values remain unbiased. Calculations like these help build the quantitative case to acquire large, fairly deep, velocity samples of stream stars.