We study the link between baryons and dark matter (DM) in 240 galaxies with spatially resolved kinematic data. Our sample spans 9 dex in stellar mass and includes all morphological types. We consider (1) 153 late-type galaxies (LTGs; spirals and irregulars) with gas rotation curves from the SPARC database, (2) 25 early-type galaxies (ETGs; ellipticals and lenticulars) with stellar and H i data from ATLAS 3 D or X-ray data from Chandra, and (3) 62 dwarf spheroidals (dSphs) with individual-star spectroscopy. We find that LTGs, ETGs, and “classical” dSphs follow the same radial acceleration relation: the observed acceleration ( g obs ) correlates with that expected from the distribution of baryons ( g bar ) over 4 dex. The relation coincides with the 1:1 line (no DM) at high accelerations but systematically deviates from unity below a critical scale of ∼10⁻¹⁰ m s⁻². The observed scatter is remarkably small ( ≲ 0.13 dex) and largely driven by observational uncertainties. The residuals do not correlate with any global or local galaxy property (e.g., baryonic mass, gas fraction, and radius). The radial acceleration relation is tantamount to a natural law: when the baryonic contribution is measured, the rotation curve follows, and vice versa. Including ultrafaint dSphs, the relation may extend by another 2 dex and possibly flatten at g bar ≲ 10 − 12 m s⁻², but these data are significantly more uncertain. The radial acceleration relation subsumes and generalizes several well-known dynamical properties of galaxies, like the Tully–Fisher and Faber–Jackson relations, the “baryon-halo” conspiracies, and Renzo’s rule.

It has been known for a long time that the satellite galaxies of the Milky Way (MW) show a significant amount of phase-space correlation, and they ar

Residual-gas expulsion after cluster formation has recently been shown to leave an imprint in the low-mass present-day stellar mass function (PDMF) w

With the release of Gaia DR2, it is now possible to measure the proper motions (PMs) of the lowest-mass, ultrafaint satellite galaxies in the Milky Way’s (MW) halo for the first time. Many of these faint satellites are posited to have been accreted as satellites of the Magellanic Clouds (MCs). Using their six-dimensional phase-space information, we calculate the orbital histories of 13 ultrafaint satellites and five classical dwarf spheroidals in a combined MW+LMC+SMC potential to determine which galaxies are dynamically associated with the MCs. These 18 galaxies are separated into four classes: (i) long-term Magellanic satellites that have been bound to the MCs for at least the last two consecutive orbits around the MCs (Carina 2, Carina 3, Horologium 1, Hydrus 1); (ii) Magellanic satellites that were recently captured by the MCs < 1 Gyr ago (Reticulum 2, Phoenix 2); (iii) MW satellites that have interacted with the MCs (Sculptor 1, Tucana 3, Segue 1); and (iv) MW satellites (Aquarius 2, Canes Venatici 2, Crater 2, Draco 1, Draco 2, Hydra 2, Carina, Fornax, Ursa Minor). Results are reported for a range of MW and LMC masses. Contrary to previous work, we find no dynamical association between Carina, Fornax, and the MCs. Finally, we determine that the addition of the SMC’s gravitational potential affects the longevity of satellites as members of the Magellanic system (long-term versus recently captured), but it does not change the total number of Magellanic satellites.

Dwarf galaxies move in unexpected ways: Massive galaxies like our Milky Way are orbited by satellite dwarf galaxies. Standard cosmological simulations of galaxy formation predict that these satellites should move randomly around their host. Müller et al. examined the satellites of the nearby elliptical galaxy Centaurus A (see the Perspective by Boylan-Kolchin). They found that the satellites are distributed in a planar arrangement, and the members of the plane are orbiting in a coherent direction. This is inconsistent with more than 99% of comparable galaxies in simulations. Centaurus A, the Milky Way, and Andromeda all have highly statistically unlikely satellite systems. This observational evidence suggests that something is wrong with standard cosmological simulations. Science , this issue p. 534 ; see also p. 520