Inferring the stellar and dark matter mass distribution from the stellar kinematics data

Lead Research Organisation: University College London
Department Name: Mullard Space Science Laboratory

Abstract

The European Space Agency (ESA)'s Gaia mission is currently producing the unprecedented amount and accuracy of the stellar astrometry data. Such large amount of the accurate stellar kinematics data enable us to reconstruct the gravitational potential of the Milky Way and dwarf galaxies. In the near future, the recently selected Japanese small JASMINE mission, which is the Gaia-level high-precision astrometry mission in Near-InfraRed (NIR), but focuses on the Galactic centre, will produce the accurate stellar kinematics data in the Galactic nuclear region, which will allow us to infer the gravitational potential of the Galactic central region, too. We will develop an advanced dynamical model to reconstruct the mass distribution from the stellar kinematics data in the Galactic centre and dwarf galaxies, using the made-to-measure (M2M) scheme, which allows to model both the stellar and dark matter mass distribution. First, by applying the model to the mock data, we will validate the model. Then, we will apply the technique to the real data, such as the Gaia and Hubble Space Telescope proper motion data and ground-based spectroscopic data, and reveal both the stellar and dark matter distribution.

Publications

10 25 50

Studentship Projects

Project Reference Relationship Related To Start End Student Name
ST/S50578X/1 01/10/2018 30/09/2022
2235319 Studentship ST/S50578X/1 01/10/2019 31/03/2023 Firat Toguz
ST/T506485/1 01/10/2019 30/09/2023
2235319 Studentship ST/T506485/1 01/10/2019 31/03/2023 Firat Toguz