Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies

Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies

Internal Kinematics of Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies

We discuss the quality of kinematic data in dwarf spheroidal galaxies, the current interpretations of those data, and prospects for actually deriving the mass profile in these galaxies. We then discuss stellar populations constraints on some of the models that attempt to explain the kinematics and formation of the dSph’s.

Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies in the Virgo Cluster

We present a study of the smallest and faintest galaxies found in a very deep photographic R band survey of regions of the Virgo Cluster, totalling over 3 square degrees, made with the UK Schmidt Telescope. The objects we detect have the same physical sizes and surface brightnesses as Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies. The luminosity function of these extremely low luminosity galaxies (down...

Light - weight Local Group Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies

A simple and natural explanation for the dynamics and morphology of the Local Group Dwarf Spheroidal galaxies, Draco (Dra) and Ursa Minor (UMi), is that they are weakly unbound stellar systems with no significant dark matter component. A gentle, but persistent, Milky Way (MW) tide has left them in their current kinematic and morphological state. This short paper reviews the parametric tidal int...

Supernova Enrichment of Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxies

Many dwarf galaxies exhibit sub-Solar metallicities, with some star-to-star variation, despite often containing multiple generations of stars. The total metal content in these systems is much less than expected from the heavy element production of massive stars in each episode of star formation. Such a deficiency implies that a substantial fraction of the enriched material has been lost from th...