Gaia RR Lyrae Stars in Nearby Ultra-Faint Dwarf Satellite Galaxies

Abstract

We search for RR Lyrae stars in 27 nearby ($<100$ kpc) ultra-faint dwarf satellite galaxies using the Gaia DR2 catalog of RR Lyrae stars. Based on proper motions, magnitudes and location on the sky, we associate 47 Gaia RR Lyrae stars to 14 different satellites. Distances based on RR Lyrae stars are provided for those galaxies. We have identified RR Lyrae stars for the first time in the Tucana II dwarf galaxy, and find additional members in Ursa Major II, Coma Berenices, Hydrus I, Bootes I and Bootes III. In addition we have identified candidate extra-tidal RR Lyrae stars in six galaxies which suggest they may be undergoing tidal disruption. We found 10 galaxies have no RR Lyrae stars neither in Gaia nor in the literature. However, given the known completeness of Gaia DR2 we cannot conclude these galaxies indeed lack variable stars of this type.

Accepted for publication in ApJSS

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