A Deep View into the Nucleus of the Sagittarius Dwarf Spheroidal Galaxy with MUSE. III. Discrete multi-component population-dynamical models based on the Jeans equations

We present comprehensive multi-component dynamical models of M54 (NGC6715), the nuclear star cluster of the Sagittarius dwarf galaxy (Sgr), which is undergoing a tidal disruption in the Milky Way halo. Previous papers in the series used a large MUSE mosaic data set to identify multiple stellar populations in the system and study their kinematic differences. Here we use Jeans-based dynamical models that fit the population properties (mean age and metallicity), spatial distributions, and kinematics simultaneously. They provide a solid physical explanation to our previous findings. The population-dynamical models deliver a comprehensive view of the whole system, and allow us to disentangle the different stellar populations. We explore their dynamical interplay and confirm our previous findings about the build-up of Sgr’s nuclear cluster via contributions from globular cluster stars, Sgr inner field stars, and in-situ star formation. We explore various parameterisations of the gravitational potential and show the importance of a radially varying mass-to-light ratio for the proper treatment of the mass profile. We find a total dynamical mass within M54’s tidal radius ($\sim 75$ pc) of $1.60\pm 0.07\times {10}^6$ Msun in excellent agreement with $N$-body simulations. The metal-poor globular cluster stars contribute about $65\mathrm{\%}$ of the total mass or $1.04\pm 0.05\times {10}^6$ Msun. The metal-rich stars can be further divided into young and intermediate age populations that contribute $0.32\pm 0.02\times {10}^6$ Msun ($20\mathrm{\%}$) and $0.24\pm 0.02\times {10}^6$ Msun ($15\mathrm{\%}$), respectively. Our population-dynamical models successfully distinguish the different stellar populations in Sgr’s nucleus because of their different spatial distributions, ages, metallicities, and kinematic features.