A stellar stream around the spiral galaxy Messier 61 in Rubin First Look imaging

TL;DR

This paper reports the discovery of the first stellar stream around the spiral galaxy M61 using Rubin Observatory imaging, providing insights into galaxy interactions and accretion features.

Contribution

First detection of a stellar stream around M61 with detailed characterization using Rubin Observatory data.

Findings

Stream is ~50 kpc long and narrow

Surface brightness is ~28 AB mag/arcsec^2 in g-band

Stellar mass of the stream is approximately 2x10^8 solar masses

Abstract

We present the first stellar stream discovered with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory, around spiral galaxy M61 (NGC 4303) in Virgo First Look imaging. The stream is narrow, radially-oriented in projection, and ~50 kpc long. It has g-band surface brightness (SB) mu_g ~ 28 AB mag arcsec^-2, color g-z ~ 1.0, and stellar mass M_* ~ 2x10^8 M_Sun. This dwarf galaxy interaction may have provoked the M61 starburst, and foreshadows the bounty of accretion features expected in the ten-year Rubin Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST).