On the mass of M31
Abstract
Recent work by several groups has established the properties of the dwarf satellites to M31. We reexamine the reported kinematics of this group employing a fresh technique we have developed previously. By calculating the distribution of a χ statistic (which we define in the paper) for the M31 system, we conclude that the total mass (disc plus halo) of the primary is unlikely to be as great as that of our own Milky Way. In fact the χ distribution for M31 indicates that, like NGC 3992, it does not have a massive halo. In contrast, the analysis of the satellites of NGC 1961 and NGC 5084 provides strong evidence for massive haloes surrounding both spiral galaxies.
- Publication:
-
Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- November 2002
- DOI:
- 10.1046/j.1365-8711.2002.05793.x
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0207450
- Bibcode:
- 2002MNRAS.337...34G
- Keywords:
-
- galaxies: haloes;
- galaxies: individual: M31;
- galaxies: kinematics and dynamics;
- dark matter;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- To appear in MNRAS, 10 pages with 6 figures