On 2017 August 17 a binary neutron star coalescence candidate (later designated GW170817) with merger time 12:41:04 UTC was observed through gravitational waves by the Advanced LIGO and Advanced Virgo detectors. The Fermi Gamma-ray Burst Monitor independently detected a gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) with a time delay of ∼ 1.7 s with respect to the merger time. From the gravitational-wave signal, the source was initially localized to a sky region of 31 deg2 at a luminosity distance of 40 − 8 + 8 Mpc and with component masses consistent with neutron stars. The component masses were later measured to be in the range 0.86 to 2.26 M ⊙ . An extensive observing campaign was launched across the electromagnetic spectrum leading to the discovery of a bright optical transient (SSS17a, now with the IAU identification of AT 2017gfo) in NGC 4993 (at ∼ 40 Mpc ) less than 11 hours after the merger by the One-Meter, Two Hemisphere (1M2H) team using the 1 m Swope Telescope. The optical transient was independently detected by multiple teams within an hour. Subsequent observations targeted the object and its environment. Early ultraviolet observations revealed a blue transient that faded within 48 hours. Optical and infrared observations showed a redward evolution over ∼10 days. Following early non-detections, X-ray and radio emission were discovered at the transient’s position ∼ 9 and ∼ 16 days, respectively, after the merger. Both the X-ray and radio emission likely arise from a physical process that is distinct from the one that generates the UV/optical/near-infrared emission. No ultra-high-energy gamma-rays and no neutrino candidates consistent with the source were found in follow-up searches. These observations support the hypothesis that GW170817 was produced by the merger of two neutron stars in NGC 4993 followed by a short gamma-ray burst (GRB 170817A) and a kilonova/macronova powered by the radioactive decay of r-process nuclei synthesized in the ejecta.

Ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) are unusual galaxies with low luminosities, similar to classical dwarf galaxies, but sizes up to ∼ 5 larger than expected for their mass. Some UDGs have large populations of globular clusters (GCs), something unexpected in galaxies with such low stellar density and mass. We have carried out a comprehensive study of GCs in both UDGs and classical dwarf galaxies at comparable stellar masses using HST observations of the Coma cluster. We present new imaging for 33 Dragonfly UDGs with the largest effective radii (> 2 kpc), and additionally include 15 UDGs and 54 classical dwarf galaxies from the HST/ACS Coma Treasury Survey and the literature. Out of a total of 48 UDGs, 27 have statistically significant GC systems, and 11 have candidate nuclear star clusters. The GC specific frequency (S N ) varies dramatically, with the mean S N being higher for UDGs than for classical dwarfs. At constant stellar mass, galaxies with larger sizes (or lower surface brightnesses) have higher S N , with the trend being stronger at higher stellar mass. At lower stellar masses, UDGs tend to have higher S N when closer to the center of the cluster, i.e., in denser environments. The fraction of UDGs with a nuclear star cluster also depends on environment, varying from ∼ 40% in the cluster core, where it is slightly lower than the nucleation fraction of classical dwarfs, to 20% in the outskirts. Collectively, we observe an unmistakable diversity in the abundance of GCs, and this may point to multiple formation routes.

Using deep, high resolution optical imaging from the Next Generation Virgo Cluster Survey we study the properties of nuclear star clusters (NSCs) in a sample of nearly 400 quiescent galaxies in the core of Virgo with stellar masses 10 5 M * /M 10 12 . The nucleation fraction reaches a peak value f n ≈ 90% for M * ≈ 10 9 M galaxies and declines for both higher and lower masses, but nuclei populate galaxies as small as M * ≈ 5 × 10 5 M . Comparison with literature data for nearby groups and clusters shows that at the low-mass end nucleation is more frequent in denser environments. The NSC mass function peaks at M N SC ≈ 7 × 10 5 M , a factor 3-4 times larger than the turnover mass for globular clusters (GCs). We find a nonlinear relation between the stellar masses of NSCs and of their host galaxies, with a mean nucleus-to-galaxy mass ratio that drops to M N SC /M ≈ 3.6 × 10 −3 for M * ≈ 5 × 10 9 M galaxies. Nuclei in both more and less massive galaxies are much more prominent: M N SC ∝ M 0.46 * at the low-mass end, where nuclei are nearly 50% as massive as their hosts. We measure an intrinsic scatter in NSC masses at fixed galaxy stellar mass of 0.4 dex, which we interpret as evidence that the process of NSC growth is significantly stochastic. At low galaxy masses we find a close connection between NSCs and GC systems, including a very similar occupation distribution and comparable total masses. We discuss these results in the context of current dissipative and dissipationless models of NSC formation.

Observations of nearby galaxy clusters at low surface brightness have identified galaxies with low luminosities, but sizes as large as L å galaxies, leading them to be dubbed "ultra-diffuse galaxies" (UDGs). The survival of UDGs in dense environments like the Coma cluster suggests that UDGs could reside in much more massive dark halos. We report the detection of a substantial population of globular clusters (GCs) around a Coma UDG, Dragonfly 17 (DF17). We find that DF17 has a high GC specific frequency of S N = 26 ± 13. The GC system is extended, with an effective radius of 12″ ± 2″, or 5.6 ± 0.9 kpc at Coma distance, 70% larger than the galaxy itself. We also estimate the mean of the GC luminosity function to infer a distance of -+ 97 14 17 Mpc, providing redshift-independent confirmation that one of these UDGs is in the Coma cluster. The presence of a rich GC system in DF17 indicates that, despite its low stellar density, star formation was intense enough to form many massive star clusters. If DF17ʼs ratio of total GC mass to total halo mass is similar to those in other galaxies, then DF17 has an inferred total mass of ∼1011 M e , only ∼10% the mass of the Milky Way, but extremely dominated by dark matter, with M/L V ≈ 1000. We suggest that UDGs like DF17 may be "pure stellar halos," i.e., galaxies that formed their stellar halo components, but then suffered an early cessation in star formation that prevented the formation of any substantial central disk or bulge.

We present Keck/DEIMOS spectroscopy of globular clusters (GCs) around the ultra-diffuse galaxies (UDGs) VLSB−B, VLSB−D, and VCC615 located in the central regions of the Virgo cluster. We spectroscopically identify 4, 12, and 7 GC satellites of these UDGs, respectively. We find that the three UDGs have systemic velocities (V sys ) consistent with being in the Virgo cluster, and that they span a wide range of velocity dispersions, from ∼ 16 to ∼ 47 km s −1 , and high dynamical mass-to-light ratios within the radius that contains half the number of GCs (407 +916 −407 , 21 +15 −11 , 60 +65 −38 , respectively). VLSB−D shows possible evidence for rotation along the stellar major axis and its V sys is consistent with that of the massive galaxy M84 and the center of the Virgo cluster itself. These findings, in addition to having a dynamically and spatially (∼ 1 kpc) off-centered nucleus and being extremely elongated, suggest that VLSB−D could be tidally perturbed. On the contrary, VLSB−B and VCC615 show no signals of tidal deformation. Whereas the dynamics of VLSB−D suggest that it has a less massive dark matter halo than expected for its stellar mass, VLSB−B and VCC615 are consistent with a ∼ 10 12 M dark matter halo. Although our samples of galaxies and GCs are small, these results suggest that UDGs may be a diverse population, with their low surface brightnesses being the result of very early formation, tidal disruption, or a combination of the two.

We use the IllustrisTNG cosmological hydrodynamical simulation to study the formation of ultradiffuse galaxies (UDGs) in galaxy clusters. We supplement the simulations with a realistic mass–size relation for galaxies at the time of infall into the cluster, as well as an analytical model to describe the tidally induced evolution of their stellar mass, velocity dispersion, and size. The model assumes ‘cuspy’ NFW haloes and, contrary to recent claims, has no difficulty reproducing the observed number of UDGs in clusters. Our results further suggest that the UDG population consists of a mixture of ‘normal’ low surface brightness galaxies such as those found in the field (‘born’ UDGs, or B-UDGs), as well as a distinct population that owe their large size and low surface brightness to the effects of cluster tides (‘tidal’, or T-UDGs). The simulations indicate that T-UDGs entered the cluster earlier and should be more prevalent than B-UDGs near the cluster centres. T-UDGs should also have, at given stellar mass, lower velocity dispersion, higher metallicities, and lower dark matter content than B-UDGs. Our results suggest that systems like DF-44 are consistent with having been born as UDGs, while others such as DF2, DF4, and VLSB-D are possibly extreme T-UDG examples.

The so-called ultra-diffuse galaxy NGC 1052-DF2 was announced to be a galaxy lacking dark matter based on a spectroscopic study of its constituent globular clusters. Here we present the first spectroscopic analysis of the stellar body of this galaxy using the MUSE integral-field spectrograph at the (ESO) Very Large Telescope. The MUSE datacube simultaneously provides DF2's stellar velocity field and systemic velocities for seven globular clusters (GCs). We further discovered three planetary nebulae (PNe) that are likely part of this galaxy. While five of the clusters had velocities measured in the literature, we were able to confirm the membership of two more candidates through precise radial velocity measurements, which increases the measured specific frequency of GCs in DF2. The mean velocity of the diffuse stellar body, 1792.9 −1.8 +1.4 km s −1 , is consistent with the mean globular cluster velocity. We detect a weak but significant velocity gradient within the stellar body, with a kinematic axis close to the photometric major axis, making it a prolate-like rotator. We estimate a velocity dispersion from the clusters and PNe of σ int = 10.6 +3.9 −2.3 km s −1 . The velocity dispersion σ DF2 (R e ) for the stellar body within one effective radius is 10.8 −4.0 +3.2 km s −1 . Considering various sources of systemic uncertainties, this central value varies between 5 and 13 km s −1 , and we conservatively report a 95% confidence upper limit to the dispersion within one R e of 21 km s −1 . We provide updated mass estimates based on these dispersions corresponding to the different distances to NGC 1052-DF2 that have been reported in the recent literature.

NGC 1052-DF2, an ultra-diffuse galaxy (UDG), has been the subject of intense debate. Its alleged absence of dark matter, and the brightness and number excess of its globular clusters (GCs) at an initially assumed distance of 20 Mpc suggest a new formation channel for UDGs. We present the first systematic spectroscopic analysis of the stellar body and the GCs in this galaxy (six previously known and one newly confirmed member) using MUSE at the VLT. Even though NGC 1052-DF2 does not show any spatially extended emission lines, we report the discovery of three planetary nebulae (PNe). We conduct full spectral fitting on the UDG and the stacked spectra of all the GCs. The UDG’s stellar population is old, 8.9 ± 1.5 Gyr; metal poor, [M/H] = −1.07 ± 0.12; and with little or no α-enrichment. The stacked spectrum of all GCs indicates a similar age of 8.9 ± 1.8 Gyr, but a lower metallicity of [M/H] = −1.63 ± 0.09 and a similarly low α-enrichment. There is no evidence for a variation in age and metallicity in the GC population with the available spectra. The significantly more metal-rich stellar body with respect to its associated GCs, the age of the population, its metallicity, and its α-enrichment are all in line with other dwarf galaxies. NGC 1052-DF2 thus falls on the same empirical mass–metallicity relation as other dwarfs for the full distance range assumed in the literature. We find that both debated distance estimates (13 and 20 Mpc) are similarly likely, given the three discovered PNe.