Formation of dSph Satellites without Dark Matter

Pavel Kroupa

Published 1998-01-07Version 1

Recently it was shown that low-mass galaxies containing no dark matter can naturally evolve to dSph-like satellites in a tidal field. Such dSph-like satellites fake total domination by dark matter. If this is correct then it must be possible to assemble appropriate precursors of dSph satellites. The genesis of dwarf galaxies in tidal tails appears to be a likely possibility. This is documented by theoretical work and observational surveys. However, it is not yet clear if the Milky Way could have sustained one or two mergers or fly-bys that were mild enough not to have destroyed the Galactic disc. The tidal arms could have been pulled from the incoming galaxy. Also, this scenario has to account for the correlation between brightness and metal abundance displayed by the Galactic dSph satellites, and lead to at least some debris on bound eccentric orbits.