Equilibrium dynamical models in the inner region of the Large Magellanic Cloud based on <i>Gaia</i> DR3 kinematics

Context. The Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) contains complex dynamics driven by both internal and external processes. The external forces are due to tidal interactions with the Small Magellanic Cloud and the Milky Way, while internally its dynamics mainly depend on the stellar, gas, and dark matter mass distributions. Despite this complexity, simple physical models often provide valuable insights into the primary driving factors. Aims. We used Gaia Data Release 3 (DR3) to explore how well equilibrium dynamical models based on the Jeans equations and the Schwarzschild orbit superposition method are able to describe the LMC’s five-dimensional phase-space distribution and line-of-sight (LOS) velocity distribution, respectively. In the Schwarzschild model, we incorporated a triaxial bar component for the first time and derived the LMC’s bar pattern speed. Methods. We fit comprehensive Jeans dynamical models to all Gaia DR3 stars with proper motion and LOS velocity measurements found in the footprint of the VISTA near-infrared survey of the Magellanic System using a discrete maximum likelihood approach. These models are very efficient at discriminating genuine LMC member stars from Milky Way foreground stars and background galaxies. They constrain the shape, orientation, and enclosed mass of the galaxy under the assumption of axisymmetry. We used the Jeans model results as a stepping stone to more complex two-component Schwarzschild models, which include an axisymmetric disc and a co-centric triaxial bar, which we fit to the LMC Gaia DR3 LOS velocity field using a χ 2 minimisation approach. Results. The Jeans models describe the rotation and velocity dispersion of the LMC disc well, and we find an inclination angle of θ = 25.5° ±0.2°, line of nodes orientation of ψ = 124° ±0.4°, and an intrinsic thickness of the disc of q 0 d = b / a = 0.23 ± 0.01 (minor to major axis ratio). However, bound to axisymmetry, these models fail to properly describe the kinematics in the central region of the galaxy dominated by the LMC bar. We used the derived disc orientation and the Gaia DR3 density image of the LMC to obtain the intrinsic shape of the bar. Using these two components as input to our Schwarzschild models, we performed orbit integration and weighting in a rotating reference frame fixed to the bar, deriving an independent measurement of the LMC bar pattern speed of Ω = 11 ± 4 km s −1 kpc −1 . Both the Jeans and Schwarzschild models predict the same enclosed mass distribution within a radius of 6.2 kpc of ∼ 1.4 × 10 10 M ⊙ .