Investigating the Dark Matter Halo of NGC 5128 using a Discrete Dynamical Model

Abstract

As the nearest accessible massive early-type galaxy, NGC 5128 presents an exceptional opportunity to measure dark matter halo parameters for a representative elliptical galaxy. Here we take advantage of rich new observational datasets of large-radius tracers to perform dynamical modeling of NGC 5128, using a discrete axisymmetric anisotropic Jeans approach with a total tracer population of nearly 1800 planetary nebulae, globular clusters, and dwarf satellite galaxies extending to a projected distance of $\sim 250$ kpc from the galaxy center. We find that a standard NFW halo provides an excellent fit to nearly all the data, excepting a subset of the planetary nebulae that appear to be out of virial equilibrium. The best-fit dark matter halo has a virial mass of ${\mathrm{M}}_{vir}=4.4_{-1.4}^{+2.4}\times 10^{12}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot }$, and NGC 5128 appears to sit below the mean stellar mass--halo mass and globular cluster mass--halo mass relations, which both predict a halo virial mass closer to ${\mathrm{M}}_{vir}\sim 10^{13}{\mathrm{M}}_{\odot }$. The inferred NFW virial concentration is $c_{vir}=5.6_{-1.6}^{+2.4}$, nominally lower than $c_{vir}\sim 9$ predicted from published $c_{vir}$--${\mathrm{M}}_{vir}$ relations, but within the $\sim 30\%$ scatter found in simulations. The best-fit dark matter halo constitutes only $\sim 10\%$ of the total mass at 1 effective radius but $\sim 50\%$ at 5 effective radii. The derived halo parameters are relatively insensitive to reasonable variations in the tracer population considered, tracer anisotropies, and system inclination. Our analysis highlights the value of comprehensive dynamical modeling of nearby galaxies, and the importance of using multiple tracers to allow cross-checks for model robustness.

Submitted to A&A on 20.06.2023

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