Kinematics of Antlia 2 and Crater 2 from The Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey (S5)

TL;DR

This study presents new spectroscopic data for Antlia 2 and Crater 2, revealing velocity gradients and tidal disruption signs, and emphasizes the importance of including the Large Magellanic Cloud's influence in their dynamical models.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive kinematic analysis combining Gaia data and spectroscopic observations, highlighting the tidal disruption processes of these dwarf galaxies.

Findings

Detection of velocity gradients consistent with tidal disruption

Antlia 2's metallicity is lower than previously estimated

Models require significant stellar mass loss and LMC influence

Abstract

We present new spectroscopic observations of the diffuse Milky Way satellite galaxies Antlia 2 and Crater 2, taken as part of the Southern Stellar Stream Spectroscopic Survey (S5). The new observations approximately double the number of confirmed member stars in each galaxy and more than double the spatial extent of spectroscopic observations in Antlia 2. A full kinematic analysis, including Gaia EDR3 proper motions, detects a clear velocity gradient in Antlia 2 and a tentative velocity gradient in Crater 2. The velocity gradient magnitudes and directions are consistent with particle stream simulations of tidal disruption. Furthermore, the orbit and kinematics of Antlia 2 require a model that includes the reflex motion of the Milky Way induced by the Large Magellanic Cloud. We also find that Antlia 2's metallicity was previously overestimated, so it lies on the empirical luminosity-metallicity relation and is likely only now experiencing substantial stellar mass loss. Current dynamical models of Antlia 2 require it to have lost over 90% of its stars to tides, in tension with the low stellar mass loss implied by the updated metallicity. Overall, the new kinematic measurements support a tidal disruption scenario for the origin of these large and extended dwarf spheroidal galaxies.