Key points are not available for this paper at this time.
ABSTRACT We present a detailed characterization of planes of satellite galaxies in the Milky Way (MW) and M31. For a positional analysis, we introduce an extension to the ‘4-galaxy-normal density plot’ method from Pawlowski, Kroupa so far the most populated plane that thin reported in the Local Group. We introduce a new method to determine, using kinematic data, the axis of maximum co-orbitation of MW satellites. Interestingly, this axis approximately coincides with the normal to the former plane: 45 5{\ per\ cent} of satellites co-orbit. In M31 we discover a plane with Nsat = 18 and c/a ∼ 0. 15, i. e. quality comparable to the GPoA, and perpendicular to it. This structure is viewed face-on from the Sun making it susceptible to M31 satellite distance uncertainties. An estimation of the perpendicular velocity dispersion suggests that it is dynamically unstable. Finally we find that mass is not a property determining a satellite’s membership to good quality planes.
Santos-Santos et al. (Sat,) studied this question.