Phoenix a galaxy characteristics compared to milky way

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Phoenix Galaxy Type and Structure Compared to the Milky Way

The Phoenix galaxy is a dwarf galaxy, specifically classified as a transition type between dwarf irregular and dwarf spheroidal galaxies. This is very different from the Milky Way, which is a large spiral galaxy. Phoenix is much smaller in size and mass, and its structure is less organized than the spiral arms seen in the Milky Way. The Phoenix galaxy's stellar populations are distributed in a way that younger stars are more centrally concentrated, a pattern also observed in some Milky Way dwarf spheroidal satellites, but not in the Milky Way itself, which has a well-defined disk and bulge structure .

Size, Luminosity, and Metallicity: Phoenix vs. Milky Way

Phoenix is extremely small compared to the Milky Way. Its half-light radius is only about 12.6 parsecs, while the Milky Way's disk is about 15,000 parsecs in radius 235. The Phoenix galaxy is also much fainter, with an absolute magnitude typical of ultra-faint dwarf galaxies, whereas the Milky Way is one of the most luminous galaxies in the Local Group. In terms of metallicity, Phoenix is very metal-poor, with an average [Fe/H] around -2.1, which is much lower than the Milky Way's average metallicity. This low metallicity is common among dwarf galaxies and indicates an older, less chemically evolved stellar population 2345.

Stellar Populations and Evolutionary History

Phoenix contains stars of various ages, from about 0.1 billion years to the oldest stars, but its overall population is dominated by old, metal-poor stars. The presence of a red giant branch bump and a centrally concentrated distribution of younger stars suggest ongoing, though limited, star formation in the past . This is in contrast to the Milky Way, which has a continuous star formation history and a much larger population of young, metal-rich stars.

Gas Content and Tidal Features

Unlike the Milky Way, which contains significant amounts of gas and dust, Phoenix and similar ultra-faint dwarf galaxies have very little or no detectable gas . Phoenix II, a related ultra-faint dwarf, shows S-shaped tidal arms, indicating it is being tidally disrupted, possibly by interactions with larger galaxies like the Milky Way or the Large Magellanic Cloud 234. The Milky Way, being much more massive, is the galaxy that causes such tidal effects on its satellites, rather than experiencing them itself.

Association with Larger Galaxies

There is evidence that Phoenix and similar dwarf galaxies may have once been satellites of the Large Magellanic Cloud or have interacted with the Milky Way in the past. Their orbital properties and spatial alignments support this idea 246. In contrast, the Milky Way is the dominant galaxy in its local environment and is not a satellite of any larger system.

Conclusion

In summary, the Phoenix galaxy is a small, faint, metal-poor dwarf galaxy with a simple structure and limited star formation, very different from the large, bright, and complex Milky Way. Phoenix's characteristics are typical of ultra-faint dwarf galaxies, and its evolutionary history is shaped by interactions with larger galaxies, unlike the Milky Way, which shapes the evolution of its own satellites 123456.

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Most relevant research papers on this topic

A wide-area view of the Phoenix dwarf galaxy from VLT/FORS imaging

The Phoenix dwarf galaxy shows a Sersic profile with a more centrally concentrated star distribution as the stellar population age increases, similar to Milky Way dwarf spheroidal galaxies.

2012·

19citations

·G. Battaglia et al.

On the Nature of Ultra-faint Dwarf Galaxy Candidates. III. Horologium I, Pictor I, Grus I, and Phoenix II

Horologium I, Pictor I, Grus I, and Phoenix II are likely ultra-faint dwarf galaxy candidates that may be satellites of the Large Magellanic Cloud.

2018·

7citations

·H. Jerjen et al.

A Deeper Look at the New Milky Way Satellites: Sagittarius II, Reticulum II, Phoenix II, and Tucana III

Newly discovered Milky Way satellites Sgr II, Ret II, Phoenix II, and Tucana III are all old and metal poor, with Sgr II potentially being the most extended globular cluster in its luminosity range.

Highly Cited

2018·

72citations

·B. Mutlu-Pakdil et al.

Gaia DR 2 and VLT/FLAMES search for new satellites of the LMC

The four southern dwarf galaxy candidates identified by Gaia DR2 and VLT/FLAMES are likely former satellites of the Large Magellanic Cloud, with only Phoenix II clearly classified as a dwarf galaxy.

2018·

37citations

·T. Fritz et al.

Determinación de las propiedades físicas de diez compañeros de la Vía Láctea descubiertos en los datos del primer año de observación del Dark Energy Survey

The Dark Energy Survey data reveals a wide range of physical properties for ten Milky Way companions, providing valuable information on their formation and evolution.

2018·

0citations

·Luque Canaza et al.

Identifying Local Group field galaxies that have interacted with the Milky Way

Local Group galaxies Tucana, Cetus, NGC 3109, Sextans A, Sextans B, Antlia, NGC 6822, Phoenix, Leo T, and NGC 185 likely passed through the Milky Way, suggesting a sequence of evolution driven by interaction history.

Highly Cited

2012·

95citations

·M. Teyssier et al.

The Global Dynamical Atlas of the Milky Way Mergers: Constraints from Gaia EDR3–based Orbits of Globular Clusters, Stellar Streams, and Satellite Galaxies

This study identifies six Milky Way mergers, including the most-metal-poor merger LMS-1/Wukong, and provides a reference for galaxy formation models.

2022·

59citations

·K. Malhan et al.

Star Formation Histories of Ultra-faint Dwarf Galaxies: Environmental Differences between Magellanic and Non-Magellanic Satellites?

Ultra-faint dwarf galaxies show quenching times older than 11.5 Gyr, with Magellanic satellites showing quenching times 600 Myr more recent than other Milky Way satellites.

2021·

26citations

·E. Sacchi et al.

Solo dwarfs – III. Exploring the orbital origins of isolated Local Group galaxies with Gaia Data Release 2

Isolated Local Group dwarf galaxies NGC 6822, Leo A, IC 1613, and WLM are unlikely to have interacted with the Milky Way or M31, and a future interaction between NGC 6822 and M31 in the next 4,Gyrs is essentially

2020·

11citations

·A. McConnachie et al.

The bar and spiral arms in the Milky Way: structure and kinematics

The Milky Way contains a strong bar, four major spiral arms, and an additional arm segment (the Local arm) that may be longer than previously thought, with a bar rotation speed of 35-40 km s1kpc 1, suggesting it may be a pure-disk galaxy.

2020·

27citations

·Juntai Shen et al.

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