Jormungandr: A Large Substructure Circling the Milky Way Identified from Gaia DR3 Data

We report the discovery of a large substructure in the Milky Way passing through the solar neighborhood, detected in actions $\left({J}_{\phi },{J}_{{\rm{R}}}\right)$ calculated from Gaia DR3 data. We perform extensive tests to evaluate the selection effects present in the sample and conclude that t...

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Main Authors: Xianhao Ye, Gang Zhao, Carlos Allende Prieto, Jingkun Zhao, Yong Yang, Wenbo Wu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:The Astrophysical Journal
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adbc5f
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author Xianhao Ye
Gang Zhao
Carlos Allende Prieto
Jingkun Zhao
Yong Yang
Wenbo Wu
author_facet Xianhao Ye
Gang Zhao
Carlos Allende Prieto
Jingkun Zhao
Yong Yang
Wenbo Wu
author_sort Xianhao Ye
collection DOAJ
description We report the discovery of a large substructure in the Milky Way passing through the solar neighborhood, detected in actions $\left({J}_{\phi },{J}_{{\rm{R}}}\right)$ calculated from Gaia DR3 data. We perform extensive tests to evaluate the selection effects present in the sample and conclude that they cannot produce an artifact with the same characteristics. This substructure, which we call Jormungandr, is orbiting the Milky Way with high L _Z , higher eccentricity (median ∼0.50) and larger rotation velocity V _ϕ compared to disk stars. It leaves obvious patterns in the integrals of motion and kinematics. The chemical abundances from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment DR17 for members of Jormungandr resemble those of the Galactic disk high- α sequence. It shows a significant spread in metallicity, as well as age, according to its color–magnitude diagram. Understanding its formation and nature requires further analysis and simulations.
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issn 1538-4357
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publishDate 2025-01-01
publisher IOP Publishing
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series The Astrophysical Journal
spelling doaj-art-be7cc5c0355d41ecae2f31c5564936ea2025-08-20T03:09:24ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572025-01-0198316510.3847/1538-4357/adbc5fJormungandr: A Large Substructure Circling the Milky Way Identified from Gaia DR3 DataXianhao Ye0https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5805-8112Gang Zhao1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8980-945XCarlos Allende Prieto2https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0084-572XJingkun Zhao3https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2868-8276Yong Yang4https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7609-1947Wenbo Wu5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3354-9492National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China ; gzhao@nao.cas.cn, zjk@nao.cas.cn; Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias , Vía Láctea, 38205 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain ; carlos.allende.prieto@iac.es; Universidad de La Laguna , Departamento de Astrofísica, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, SpainNational Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China ; gzhao@nao.cas.cn, zjk@nao.cas.cn; School of Astronomy and Space Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, People’s Republic of ChinaInstituto de Astrofísica de Canarias , Vía Láctea, 38205 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain ; carlos.allende.prieto@iac.es; Universidad de La Laguna , Departamento de Astrofísica, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, SpainNational Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China ; gzhao@nao.cas.cn, zjk@nao.cas.cnNational Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China ; gzhao@nao.cas.cn, zjk@nao.cas.cn; School of Astronomy and Space Science, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100049, People’s Republic of ChinaNational Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences , Beijing 100101, People’s Republic of China ; gzhao@nao.cas.cn, zjk@nao.cas.cn; Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias , Vía Láctea, 38205 La Laguna, Tenerife, Spain ; carlos.allende.prieto@iac.es; Universidad de La Laguna , Departamento de Astrofísica, 38206 La Laguna, Tenerife, SpainWe report the discovery of a large substructure in the Milky Way passing through the solar neighborhood, detected in actions $\left({J}_{\phi },{J}_{{\rm{R}}}\right)$ calculated from Gaia DR3 data. We perform extensive tests to evaluate the selection effects present in the sample and conclude that they cannot produce an artifact with the same characteristics. This substructure, which we call Jormungandr, is orbiting the Milky Way with high L _Z , higher eccentricity (median ∼0.50) and larger rotation velocity V _ϕ compared to disk stars. It leaves obvious patterns in the integrals of motion and kinematics. The chemical abundances from the Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment DR17 for members of Jormungandr resemble those of the Galactic disk high- α sequence. It shows a significant spread in metallicity, as well as age, according to its color–magnitude diagram. Understanding its formation and nature requires further analysis and simulations.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adbc5fGalaxy kinematicsStellar kinematics
spellingShingle Xianhao Ye
Gang Zhao
Carlos Allende Prieto
Jingkun Zhao
Yong Yang
Wenbo Wu
Jormungandr: A Large Substructure Circling the Milky Way Identified from Gaia DR3 Data
The Astrophysical Journal
Galaxy kinematics
Stellar kinematics
title Jormungandr: A Large Substructure Circling the Milky Way Identified from Gaia DR3 Data
title_full Jormungandr: A Large Substructure Circling the Milky Way Identified from Gaia DR3 Data
title_fullStr Jormungandr: A Large Substructure Circling the Milky Way Identified from Gaia DR3 Data
title_full_unstemmed Jormungandr: A Large Substructure Circling the Milky Way Identified from Gaia DR3 Data
title_short Jormungandr: A Large Substructure Circling the Milky Way Identified from Gaia DR3 Data
title_sort jormungandr a large substructure circling the milky way identified from gaia dr3 data
topic Galaxy kinematics
Stellar kinematics
url https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/adbc5f
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