Stacy McGaugh
@dudedarkmatter.bsky.social
Professor at Case Western Reserve University. Astronomer working on galaxies, cosmology, dark matter and modified gravity.
Read about them at https://tritonstation.com/
Read about them at https://tritonstation.com/
Pinned
Stacy McGaugh
@dudedarkmatter.bsky.social
· Dec 17
Bio
astroweb.case.edu
Publications in bio
astroweb.case.edu/ssm/bio.html
astroweb.case.edu/ssm/bio.html
Power has been restored, but the window for making doo-dads has passed.
Thanksgiving is almost here. The shopping is done and the relatives are on the way. Time to start all the food prep work… and the power just went out.
November 26, 2025 at 8:20 PM
Power has been restored, but the window for making doo-dads has passed.
Reposted by Stacy McGaugh
... but I agree with Stacy that the assumed MW halo is too massive/dense to be realistic. And I'd expect that if you reduce the assumed dark matter density, the same amount of DM needs to generate a stronger signal. Which should increase rather than ease the tension with dwarf galaxy constraints.
November 26, 2025 at 7:55 AM
... but I agree with Stacy that the assumed MW halo is too massive/dense to be realistic. And I'd expect that if you reduce the assumed dark matter density, the same amount of DM needs to generate a stronger signal. Which should increase rather than ease the tension with dwarf galaxy constraints.
Thanksgiving is almost here. The shopping is done and the relatives are on the way. Time to start all the food prep work… and the power just went out.
November 26, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Thanksgiving is almost here. The shopping is done and the relatives are on the way. Time to start all the food prep work… and the power just went out.
It’s times like these when you find out who your friends really are.
November 25, 2025 at 10:32 PM
It’s times like these when you find out who your friends really are.
Reposted by Stacy McGaugh
We infer the initial density profile of the dark matter halo of the Galaxy from the Gaia rotation curve, assessing the adiabatic compression that would be induced by plausible baryonic mass models. The data want a primordial halo with a core & rapid outer fall-off, unlike NFW as expected in LCDM.
The odd primordial halo of the Milky Way implied by Gaia. A shallow core, but a steep decline. Pengfei Li et. al. https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.17705
November 25, 2025 at 9:50 AM
We infer the initial density profile of the dark matter halo of the Galaxy from the Gaia rotation curve, assessing the adiabatic compression that would be induced by plausible baryonic mass models. The data want a primordial halo with a core & rapid outer fall-off, unlike NFW as expected in LCDM.
We infer the initial density profile of the dark matter halo of the Galaxy from the Gaia rotation curve, assessing the adiabatic compression that would be induced by plausible baryonic mass models. The data want a primordial halo with a core & rapid outer fall-off, unlike NFW as expected in LCDM.
The odd primordial halo of the Milky Way implied by Gaia. A shallow core, but a steep decline. Pengfei Li et. al. https://arxiv.org/abs/2511.17705
November 25, 2025 at 9:50 AM
We infer the initial density profile of the dark matter halo of the Galaxy from the Gaia rotation curve, assessing the adiabatic compression that would be induced by plausible baryonic mass models. The data want a primordial halo with a core & rapid outer fall-off, unlike NFW as expected in LCDM.
Quite explicitly *not* the oath taken by members of the US military. Also
November 24, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Quite explicitly *not* the oath taken by members of the US military. Also
At least I haven’t made this particular mistake.
November 24, 2025 at 4:11 PM
At least I haven’t made this particular mistake.
Words of wisdom at the local pizza place.
November 23, 2025 at 11:23 PM
Words of wisdom at the local pizza place.
Sunset, Cedar-Taylor
November 23, 2025 at 10:57 PM
Sunset, Cedar-Taylor
Speaking as a teacher, I appreciate the Oklahoma defensive back giving the audience a textbook example of targeting.
Speaking as a fan,
c’mon, man.
Speaking as a fan,
c’mon, man.
November 22, 2025 at 8:36 PM
Speaking as a teacher, I appreciate the Oklahoma defensive back giving the audience a textbook example of targeting.
Speaking as a fan,
c’mon, man.
Speaking as a fan,
c’mon, man.
The latest stitchfix box may tip the closet past the Chandrasekhar limit.
November 22, 2025 at 6:56 PM
The latest stitchfix box may tip the closet past the Chandrasekhar limit.
Substack is confused beyond the capacity for rational thought. What do you have left, Bluesky?
November 22, 2025 at 2:37 AM
Substack is confused beyond the capacity for rational thought. What do you have left, Bluesky?
Welp, guess I can’t put this question on the exam now.
It's Friday, and apparently bluesky is ready for this fun revelation:
Dinosaurs lived on the other side the Galaxy.
Dinosaurs lived on the other side the Galaxy.
November 21, 2025 at 9:20 PM
Welp, guess I can’t put this question on the exam now.
Maybe we could sing a few songs
November 20, 2025 at 3:27 PM
Maybe we could sing a few songs
I’m old enough to remember when it would be unnecessary to add “not aliens”
NASA just unveiled new images of Comet 3I/ATLAS, taken from spacecraft between Earth and Mars. The data suggests it might come from a solar system older than ours. And no—still a comet, not aliens. More updates as it passes by. abcnews.go.com/Techn...
#Comet3IATLAS #NASA #Astronomy
#Comet3IATLAS #NASA #Astronomy
November 20, 2025 at 3:22 PM
I’m old enough to remember when it would be unnecessary to add “not aliens”
So - the democrats in the senate caved on the shutdown so holiday travel wouldn’t be inconvenienced. And yet
abcnews.go.com/Business/wir...
abcnews.go.com/Business/wir...
FAA says flight cuts will stay at 6% because more air traffic controllers are coming to work
The Federal Aviation Administration says flight cuts will stay at 6% because more air traffic controllers are coming to work
abcnews.go.com
November 20, 2025 at 3:20 PM
So - the democrats in the senate caved on the shutdown so holiday travel wouldn’t be inconvenienced. And yet
abcnews.go.com/Business/wir...
abcnews.go.com/Business/wir...
The galaxy size - mass relation including gas. It’s not just about the stars!
tritonstation.com/2025/11/19/t...
tritonstation.com/2025/11/19/t...
The baryonic sizes and masses of late type galaxies, and a bit about their angular momentum
I have always been interested in the extremes of galaxy properties, especially to low surface brightness (LSB). LSB galaxies are hard to find and observe, so they present an evergreen opportunity f…
tritonstation.com
November 19, 2025 at 6:58 PM
The galaxy size - mass relation including gas. It’s not just about the stars!
tritonstation.com/2025/11/19/t...
tritonstation.com/2025/11/19/t...
To me, one of the most evocative opening lines of a song is from Julie Ruin’s Hit Reset: “Deer heads hanging in the wall, shell casings in the closet hall” - just those words and I can see the dim-lit wood-paneled walls and smell the stale beer & partially swept sawdust.
November 19, 2025 at 12:52 AM
To me, one of the most evocative opening lines of a song is from Julie Ruin’s Hit Reset: “Deer heads hanging in the wall, shell casings in the closet hall” - just those words and I can see the dim-lit wood-paneled walls and smell the stale beer & partially swept sawdust.
Reposted by Stacy McGaugh
'Skeleton Wearing a Top Hat Playing the Shamisen for a Small Dancing Yōkai' (circa 1870)
Kawanabe Kyōsai
Kawanabe Kyōsai
November 18, 2025 at 2:00 PM
'Skeleton Wearing a Top Hat Playing the Shamisen for a Small Dancing Yōkai' (circa 1870)
Kawanabe Kyōsai
Kawanabe Kyōsai
And now intention grounding to end a series.
The Ravens are giving a fine welcome to the NFL to Shedeur Sanders, whose first drive ended with a strip sack (the fumble was not lost thanks to an alert offensive lineman), and whose second drive ended with an interception.
November 17, 2025 at 12:08 AM
And now intention grounding to end a series.
The Ravens are giving a fine welcome to the NFL to Shedeur Sanders, whose first drive ended with a strip sack (the fumble was not lost thanks to an alert offensive lineman), and whose second drive ended with an interception.
November 16, 2025 at 11:27 PM
The Ravens are giving a fine welcome to the NFL to Shedeur Sanders, whose first drive ended with a strip sack (the fumble was not lost thanks to an alert offensive lineman), and whose second drive ended with an interception.
November 15, 2025 at 10:25 PM
The ides of November.
November 15, 2025 at 10:19 PM
The ides of November.
