An Overmassive Dark Halo around an Ultra-diffuse Galaxy in the Virgo Cluster

Ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) have the sizes of giants but the luminosities of dwarfs. A key to understanding their origins comes from their total masses, but their low surface brightnesses (μ (V) ≥slant 25.0) generally prohibit dynamical studies. Here, we report the first such measurements for a UDG (VCC 1287 in the Virgo cluster), based on its globular cluster system dynamics and size. From seven GCs we measure a mean systemic velocity v_sys = {1071}_-15⁺¹⁴ km s^-1, thereby confirming a Virgo cluster association. We measure a velocity dispersion of {33}_-10⁺¹⁶ km s^-1 within 8.1 kpc, corresponding to an enclosed mass of (4.5 ± 2.8) × 10⁹M_⊙ and a g-band mass-to-light ratio of {({\text{}}M/L)}_g={106}_-54⁺¹²⁶ within an effective radius. From the cumulative mass curve, along with the GC numbers, we estimate a virial mass of ∼8 × 10¹⁰M_⊙, yielding a dark-to-stellar mass fraction of ∼3000. We show that this UDG is an outlier in M_star-M_halo relations, suggesting extreme stochasticity in relatively massive star-forming halos in clusters. Finally, we discuss how counting GCs offers an efficient route to determining virial masses for UDGs.