The origin of Segue 1

• Published in: Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society Vol. 398; no. 4; pp. 1771 - 1781
• Main Authors: Niederste-Ostholt, M., Belokurov, V., Evans, N. W., Gilmore, G., Wyse, R. F. G., Norris, J. E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford, UK Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-10-2009; Wiley-Blackwell; Oxford University Press
• Subjects: Astronomy; Earth, ocean, space; Exact sciences and technology; galaxies: kinematics and dynamics; globular clusters: individual: Segue 1; Kinematics; Stars & galaxies; Velocity; globular clusters: individual: Segue 1; galaxies: kinematics and dynamics; Optimal filter; Galaxies; Mass to light ratio; Horizontal-branch stars; Probability; Globular clusters; Star clusters; Milky Way; Velocity dispersion; Dynamics; Kinematics; Sky surveys; Photometry
• ISSN: 0035-8711; 1365-2966
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2966.2009.15287.x

We apply the optimal filter technique to Sloan Digital Sky Survey photometry around Segue 1 and find that the outer parts of the cluster are distorted. There is strong evidence for ∼1° elongations of extra-tidal stars, extending both eastwards and southwestwards of the cluster. The extensions have similar differential Hess diagrams to Segue 1. A Kolmogorov–Smirnov test suggests a high probability that both come from the same parent distribution. The location of Segue 1 is close to crossings of the tidal wraps of the Sagittarius stream. By extracting blue horizontal branch stars from Sloan's spectral data base, two kinematic features are isolated and identified with different wraps of the Sagittarius stream. We show that Segue 1 is moving with a velocity that is close to one of the wraps. At this location, we estimate that there are enough Sagittarius stars, indistinguishable from Segue 1 stars, to inflate the velocity dispersion and hence the mass-to-light ratio. All the available evidence is consistent with the interpretation that Segue 1 is a star cluster, originally from the Sagittarius galaxy, and now dissolving in the Milky Way.