Revisiting mass estimates of the Milky Way

TL;DR

This paper estimates the Milky Way's mass using Gaia DR3 rotation curve data and an Einasto dark matter profile, resulting in a lower mass estimate that aligns with observed rotation decline.

Contribution

It introduces a revised mass estimate of the Milky Way based on Gaia DR3 data and an Einasto profile, offering new insights into galactic mass distribution.

Findings

Mass estimate at 112 kpc: $2.75^{+3.11}_{-0.48} imes 10^{11} M_ ext{odot}$

Consistent with declining rotation curve

Implications for galaxy and halo studies

Abstract

We use the rotation curve from Gaia data release (DR) 3 to estimate the mass of the Milky Way. We consider an Einasto density profile to model the dark matter component. We extrapolate and obtain a dynamical mass $M=2.75^{+3.11}_{-0.48}\times 10^{11} M_\odot$ at $112$ kpc. This lower-mass Milky Way is consistent with the significant declining rotation curve, and can provide new insights into our Galaxy and halo inhabitants.