The Faint Optical Stellar Luminosity Function in the Ursa Minor Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy

Abstract

Analyses of their internal stellar kinematics imply that the dwarf spheroidal (dSph) companion galaxies to the Milky Way are among the most dark matter-dominated systems known. Should there be significant dark matter in the form of faint stars in these systems, the stellar luminosity function must be very different from that of a similar metallicity globular cluster, for which there is no evidence for dark matter. We present the faint stellar luminosity function in the Ursa Minor dSph, down to a luminosity corresponding to ~0.45 M_solar, derived from new deep Hubble Space Telescope/WFPC2 data. We find a remarkable similarity between this luminosity function, and inferred initial mass function, and those of the globular cluster M92, a cluster of similar age and metallicity to the Ursa Minor dSph.

Based on observations with the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, obtained at the Space Telescope Science Institute, operated by the Association of Universities Inc., under NASA contract NAS5-26555.