The infall of dwarf satellite galaxies are influenced by their host's massive accretions

TL;DR

This study uses dark matter simulations to show that massive accretions by the Milky Way and Andromeda influence the infall, clustering, and quenching of dwarf satellite galaxies, revealing their complex orbital histories.

Contribution

It demonstrates how massive progenitor accretions affect subhalo infall patterns and star formation quenching times, providing new insights into dwarf galaxy evolution.

Findings

Massive accretions cause clustering of subhalo infall times.

Surviving subhaloes exhibit diverse orbital properties.

Quenching times correlate with major accretion events.

Abstract

Recent progress in constraining the massive accretions (>1:10) experienced by the Milky Way (MW) and the Andromeda galaxy (M31) offers an opportunity to understand the dwarf galaxy population of the Local Group. Using zoom-in dark matter-only simulations of MW-mass haloes and concentrating on subhaloes that are thought to be capable of hosting dwarf galaxies, we demonstrate that the infall of a massive progenitor is accompanied with the accretion and destruction of a large number of subhaloes. Massive accreted progenitors do not increase the total number of infalling subhaloes onto a MW-mass host, but instead focus surrounding subhaloes onto the host causing a clustering in the infall time of subhaloes. This leads to a temporary elevation in the number of subhaloes as well as changes in their cumulative radial profile within the virial radius of the host. Surviving associated subhaloes with a massive progenitor have a large diversity in their orbits. We find that the star formation quenching times of Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies ($10^{5} \mathrm{M_{\odot}} \lesssim \mathrm{M}_{*} \lesssim 10^{7} \mathrm{M_{\odot}}$) are clustered around the times of the most massive accretions suffered by the MW and M31. Our results imply that a) the quenching time of dwarf spheroidals is a good proxy of their infall time and b) the absence of recently quenched satellites around M31 suggests that M33 is not on its first infall and was accreted much earlier.