Anisotropies in the spatial distribution and kinematics of dwarf galaxies in the Local Group and beyond

TL;DR

This study uses cosmological simulations to analyze the anisotropic spatial distribution and kinematic behavior of dwarf galaxies in the Local Group, revealing directional preferences and flow characteristics influenced by the MW-M31 pair.

Contribution

It provides new insights into the anisotropic distribution and kinematic patterns of dwarf galaxies around the Local Group using detailed cosmological simulations.

Findings

Dwarfs tend to be located near the MW-M31 axis.

The local Hubble flow is affected by the MW-M31 pair, showing anisotropic recession speeds.

The observed flow is colder and less decelerated than predicted by simulations.

Abstract

The Local Group (LG) of galaxies is dominated by the M31 and Milky Way (MW) pair, a configuration which suggests that the mass distribution in the LG and its surroundings should be highly anisotropic. We use the APOSTLE cosmological simulations to examine how this anisotropy manifests on the spatial distribution and kinematics of dwarf galaxies out to a distance of 3 Mpc from the MW. The simulations indicate a clear preference for dwarfs to be located close to the axis defined by the MW-M31 direction, even for dwarfs in the LG periphery (LGP; i.e., those at distances 1.25<d/Mpc<3). The LGP "Hubble flow" is also affected; at fixed distance from the MW the mean recession speed, <V_{rad} >, varies with angular distance to M31, peaking in the anti-M31 direction and reaching a minimum behind M31. The combined M31-MW mass decelerates the local expansion; the LG "turnaround radius" (where <V_{rad}>=0) in APOSTLE is located at r ~ 1.25 Mpc from the LG barycentre and the pure Hubble flow (where <V_{rad}> ~ H_0*d) is not reached out to at least 3 Mpc. The predicted flow is very cold, with a barycentric dispersion of <40 km/s. A comparison of these predicted features with existing observations gives mixed results. There is clear observational evidence for an angular anisotropy in V_{rad} around the LGP, but little evidence for a preferred spatial distribution of LGP dwarfs along the MW-M31 axis. The observed local Hubble flow is also peculiar. Although the coldness of the flow is consistent with the simulations, it is significantly less decelerated: relative to the MW, on average, all galaxies beyond d~1.25 Mpc seem to be on a pure Hubble flow. We argue that these oddities may result from incompleteness and inhomogeneous sky coverage, but a full explanation may need to await the completion of deep all-sky surveys able to fill the gaps in our current inventory of nearby dwarfs.