The escape of globular clusters from the satellite dwarf galaxies of the Milky Way

Abstract

ABSTRACT Using numerical simulations, we have studied the escape of globular clusters (GCs) from the satellite dwarf spheroidal galaxies (dSphs) of the Milky Way (MW). We start by following the orbits of a large sample of GCs around dSphs in the presence of the MW potential field. We then obtain the fraction of GCs leaving their host dSphs within a Hubble time. We model dSphs by a Hernquist density profile with masses between $10^7$ and $7\times 10^9\, \mathrm{M}_{\odot }$. All dSphs lie on the Galactic disc plane, but they have different orbital eccentricities and apogalactic distances. We compute the escape fraction of GCs from 13 of the most massive dSphs of the MW, using their realistic orbits around the MW (as determined by Gaia). The escape fraction of GCs from 13 dSphs is in the range $12{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ to $93{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. The average escape time of GCs from these dSphs was less than 8 $\, \mathrm{Gyr}$, indicating that the escape process of GCs from dSphs was over. We then adopt a set of observationally constrained density profiles for specific case of the Fornax dSph. According to our results, the escape fraction of GCs shows a negative correlation with both the mass and the apogalactic distance of the dSphs, as well as a positive correlation with the orbital eccentricity of dSphs. In particular, we find that the escape fraction of GCs from the Fornax dSph is between $13{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$ and $38{{\ \rm per\ cent}}$. Finally, we observe that when GCs leave their host dSphs, their final orbit around the MW does not differ much from their host dSphs.