Presentation #407.03 in the session The Milky Way, the Galactic Center — iPoster Session.
Cosmological simulations that include dark matter predict the existence of low-mass subhalos. These subhalos can perturb thin stellar streams formed by tidal disruption of globular clusters (GCs), creating a gap-like feature like those detected in Gaia data (e.g GD-1). While the gap morphology offers an avenue for constraining different dark matter models, the sample of GC streams in the Galaxy with confirmed gaps remains small due to the streams’ intrinsic low surface brightness. Previously, Pearson et al. (2021) have shown that the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope (Roman) will detect thin streams in external galaxies originating from GCs with progenitor GC masses as low as 3 x 104 solar masses. It is unknown, however, if we can observe gaps in these streams in external galaxies. In this project, we generate mock streams and model subsequent subhalo interactions in thin streams orbiting in a Milky Way-like potential with initial GC masses of 3 × 104 solar masses and subhalo masses of 106-107 solar masses. We study the gaps created through the interaction between these subhalos and GC streams and predict detectability thresholds for these gaps by incorporating realistic background stars simulated in the Roman 0.28 deg2 field of view projected to the distance of M31 and other nearby galaxies.