The Digital Press

The study tests the reliability of the spherical Jeans equation in measuring dark matter in Milky Way dwarf galaxies under tidal effects. Using simulations, it evaluates how well dark matter profiles and annihilation signals are recovered despite Galactic tides.

Why it matters: Accurate dark matter profiles help constrain dark matter properties using dwarf spheroidal satellites.

The big picture: Tidal effects minimally impact density inferences, but inner densities and J-factors tend to be underestimated.

Stunning stat: Mass estimates agree within 10% despite sensitivity to orbital stage and eccentricity.

The stakes: Underestimated error bars on J-factors risk misinterpreting dark matter annihilation signals in these galaxies.