There is still a lot to learn about our galaxy, and in a new paper in the journal Nature, researchers discuss an imaging campaign led by Charlie Conroy that studied the effects of the Large Magellanic Cloud on the galaxy’s halo and dark matter constituents. It has long been thought that this small galaxy and its visible and dark matter should leave a wake in our galaxy’s visible and dark matter constituents, and for the first time, that wake has been seen. 

This work is in its early days, but by understanding how the Large Magellanic Cloud disturbs the Milky Way’s dark matter halo, we can start to understand the properties of the dark matter. Think of it this way: the wake of a boat varies depending on if the boat sails in water or glycerin, and, folks, this was a lab I did with model boats and undergrads back in the day. 

It’s a really special set of circumstances that came together to create this scenario that lets us test our dark matter theories, said Gurtina Besla, a co-author of the study. I can’t wait to see what they learn from this wake they have discovered.

More Information

Center for Astrophysics press release

“All-sky dynamical response of the Galactic halo to the Large Magellanic Cloud,” Charlie Conroy et al., 2021 April 21, Nature