Dwarfs in the Milky Way halo outer rim: first in-fall or backsplash satellites?

TL;DR

This study analyzes the orbital histories of distant Milky Way satellites, revealing that some are backsplash objects that have previously entered the halo, affecting their gas content and evolution.

Contribution

The paper introduces a new orbit calculation method considering systematic uncertainties, providing insights into the past trajectories of distant MW satellites.

Findings

Backsplash solutions for Leo T with low tangential velocities.

Wide orbit backsplash solutions allow gas survival in Leo T.

Cosmic expansion influences the timing of satellite pericenter passages.

Abstract

Leo T is a gas-rich dwarf located at 414kpc $(1.4R_{\rm vir})$ distance from the Milky Way (MW) and it is currently assumed to be on its first approach. Here, we present an analysis of orbits calculated backward in time for the dwarf with our new code {\sc delorean}, exploring a range of systematic uncertainties, e.g. MW virial mass and accretion, M31 potential, and cosmic expansion. We discover that orbits with tangential velocities in the Galactic Standard-of-Rest frame lower than $|\vec{u}_{\rm t}^{\rm GSR}|\!\leq\! 63^{+47}_{-39}{\rm\, km\, s^{-1}}$ result in backsplash solutions, i.e. orbits that entered and left the MW dark matter halo in the past, and that velocities above $|\vec{u}_{\rm t}^{\rm GSR}|\!\geq\!21^{+33}_{-21}{\rm\, km\, s^{-1}}$ result in wide orbit backsplash solutions with a minimum pericenter range of $D_{\rm min}\!\geq\!38^{+26}_{-16}{\rm \,kpc}$, which would allow this satellite to survive gas stripping and tidal disruption. Moreover, new proper motion estimates match with our region of backsplash solutions. We applied our method to other distant MW satellites, finding a range of gas stripped backsplash solutions for the gas-less Cetus and Eridanus II, providing a possible explanation for their lack of cold gas, while only first in-fall solutions are found for the HI rich Phoenix I. We also find that the cosmic expansion can delay their first pericenter passage when compared to the non-expanding scenario. This study explores the provenance of these distant dwarfs and provides constraints on the environmental and internal processes that shaped their evolution and current properties.