Breaking up the Magellanic Group into the Milky Way Halo: Understanding the Local Dwarf Galaxy Properties

Understand

We use a numerical simulation of a loose group containing a Milky Way halo to probe that in the hierarchical universe the Magellanic Clouds and some dSphs have been accreted into the Milky Way halo from a late infalling group of dwarfs.

• Our simulations show that the tidal breakup of the Magellanic group occurs before it enters the Milky Way halo.
• Only half of the satellites contributed from the group are predicted to be inside the Milky Way virial radius.
• Half of its subhalos survive outside the current virial radius in the form of satellites, whereas the remaining material contributes to the diffuse Milky Way halo.