Time Argument Research Articles

Weighing Milky Way and Andromeda in an expanding ΛCDM Universe

The dynamics of the Local Group (LG), especially the contribution of the Milky Way (MW) and Andromeda (M 31) galaxies, is sensitive to the presence of dark energy. This work analyzes the evolution of the LG by considering it as a two-body problem in a homogeneous and isotropic expanding spacetime in a full Λcold dark matter (ΛCDM) background. Using the timing argument (TA), which links LG dynamics to LG mass, we find that the full ΛCDM background predicts a ∼10% lower mass for the LG; whereas Λ alone predicts a ∼10% higher mass. The TA mass is modified by (i) simulations and (ii) the effect of the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) to alleviate the poorly constrained internal mass distributions of M 31 and the MW, their time evolution, and the unknown distribution of dark matter between them. First, using IllustrisTNG simulations, we accounted for the effects of two extended halos and their environment (rather than point particles) and predicted their mass (3.89 ± 0.62)×1012 M⊙. Second, the LMC effectively changes the separation and velocities of M 31 towards the MW and reduces the predicted mass to (2.33 ± 0.72)×1012 M⊙. Despite the uncertainties around dark matter between these galaxies, the overall estimated mass is compatible with the mere sum of the MW and M 31 masses. The total mass of the TA is compatible with other estimates, such as the Hubble flow and the Virial Theorem with other dwarf galaxies. The combined result shows, for the first time, that a lower mass estimate can be obtained from the TA, with a consistent embedding and other systematic effects, and without an additional dark matter halo around the galaxies.

Local Group timing argument and virial theorem mass estimators from cosmological simulations

ABSTRACT We identify Local Group (LG) analogues in the IllustrisTNG cosmological simulation, and use these to study two-mass estimators for the LG: One based on the timing argument (TA) and one based on the virial theorem (VT). Including updated measurements of the Milky Way-M31 tangential velocity and the cosmological constant, we show that the TA mass estimator slightly overestimates the true median LG-mass, though the ratio of the TA to the true mass is consistent at the approximate 90 per cent c.l.. These are in broad agreement with previous results using dark matter-only simulations. We show that the VT estimator better estimates the true LG-mass, though there is a larger scatter in the virial mass to true mass ratio relative to the corresponding ratio for the TA. We attribute the broader scatter in the VT estimator to several factors, including the predominantly radial orbits for LG satellite galaxies, which differs from the VT assumption of isotropic orbits. With the systematic uncertainties we derive, the updated measurements of the LG mass at 90 per cent c.l. are $4.75_{-2.41}^{+2.22} \times 10^{12}$ M⊙ from the TA and $2.0_{-1.5}^{+2.1} \times 10^{12}$ M⊙ from the VT. We consider the LMC’s effect on the TA and VT LG mass estimates, and do not find exact LMC–MW–M31 analogues in the Illustris simulations. However, in LG simulations with satellite companions as massive as the LMC, we find that the effect on the TA and VT estimators is small, though we need further studies on a larger sample of LMC–MW–M31 systems to confirm these results.

Timing argument take on the Milky Way and Andromeda past encounter

The two-body problem of the M 31 and Milky Way (MW) galaxies with a cosmological constant background is studied, with an emphasis on the possibility that they experienced a past encounter (PE). Past encounters are possible only for a nonzero transverse velocity, and their viability is subject to observations of the imprints of such near collisions. By implementing the timing argument (TA) for two isolated point bodies, it is shown that if M 31 and the MW had experienced a PE, then the predicted mass of the Local Group (LG) would be twice larger. This predicted mass is too large and implies that the MW and M 31 galaxies would have collided at ∼8 Gys. Therefore, the TA analysis shows that a PE is not possible for the LG system.

Weighing the Local Group in the presence of dark energy

Abstract We revise the mass estimate of the Local Group (LG) when dark energy (in the form of the cosmological constant) is incorporated into the timing argument (TA) mass estimator for the LG. Assuming the age of the Universe and the cosmological constant according to the recent values from the Planck cosmic microwave background experiment, we find the mass of the LG to be MTAΛ = (4.73 ± 1.03) × 1012 M⊙ which is 13 per cent higher than the classical TA mass estimate. This partly explains the discrepancy between earlier results from Lambda cold dark matter simulations and the classical TA. When a similar analysis is performed on 16 LG-like galaxy pairs from the Constrained Local Universe Simulations, we find that the scatter in the ratio of the virial to the TA estimated mass is given by Mvir/MTAΛ = 1.04 ± 0.16. Applying it to the LG mass estimation we find a calibrated Mvir = (4.92 ± 1.08(obs.) ± 0.79(sys.)) × 1012 M⊙.