Dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the Virgo Cluster

S. Phillipps; Q. A. Parker; J. M. Schwartzenberg; J. B. Jones

Dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the Virgo Cluster

S. Phillipps^*, Q. A. Parker, J. M. Schwartzenberg, J. B. Jones

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

51 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We present a study of the smallest and faintest galaxies found in a very deep photographic R-band survey of regions of the Virgo Cluster, totalling over 3 deg², made with the UK Schmidt Telescope. The objects we detect have the same physical sizes and surface brightnesses as Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies. The luminosity function of these extremely low luminosity galaxies (down to M_R≃-11 or about 5 × 10^-5L_*) is very steep, with a power-law slope α ≃ -2, as would be expected in many theories of galaxy formation via hierarchical clustering, supporting previous observational evidence at somewhat higher luminosities in other clusters.

Original language	English
Journal	Astrophysical Journal
Volume	493
Issue number	2 PART II
Publication status	Published - 1998

Keywords

Galaxies: clusters: individual (Virgo)
Galaxies: elliptical and lenticular, cD
Galaxies: evolution
Galaxies: luminosity function, mass function
Galaxies: photometry

Cite this

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title = "Dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the Virgo Cluster",

abstract = "We present a study of the smallest and faintest galaxies found in a very deep photographic R-band survey of regions of the Virgo Cluster, totalling over 3 deg2, made with the UK Schmidt Telescope. The objects we detect have the same physical sizes and surface brightnesses as Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies. The luminosity function of these extremely low luminosity galaxies (down to MR≃-11 or about 5 × 10-5L*) is very steep, with a power-law slope α ≃ -2, as would be expected in many theories of galaxy formation via hierarchical clustering, supporting previous observational evidence at somewhat higher luminosities in other clusters.",

keywords = "Galaxies: clusters: individual (Virgo), Galaxies: elliptical and lenticular, cD, Galaxies: evolution, Galaxies: luminosity function, mass function, Galaxies: photometry",

author = "S. Phillipps and Parker, {Q. A.} and Schwartzenberg, {J. M.} and Jones, {J. B.}",

year = "1998",

language = "English",

volume = "493",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal",

issn = "0004-637X",

publisher = "IOP Publishing",

number = "2 PART II",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the Virgo Cluster

AU - Phillipps, S.

AU - Parker, Q. A.

AU - Schwartzenberg, J. M.

AU - Jones, J. B.

PY - 1998

Y1 - 1998

N2 - We present a study of the smallest and faintest galaxies found in a very deep photographic R-band survey of regions of the Virgo Cluster, totalling over 3 deg2, made with the UK Schmidt Telescope. The objects we detect have the same physical sizes and surface brightnesses as Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies. The luminosity function of these extremely low luminosity galaxies (down to MR≃-11 or about 5 × 10-5L*) is very steep, with a power-law slope α ≃ -2, as would be expected in many theories of galaxy formation via hierarchical clustering, supporting previous observational evidence at somewhat higher luminosities in other clusters.

AB - We present a study of the smallest and faintest galaxies found in a very deep photographic R-band survey of regions of the Virgo Cluster, totalling over 3 deg2, made with the UK Schmidt Telescope. The objects we detect have the same physical sizes and surface brightnesses as Local Group dwarf spheroidal galaxies. The luminosity function of these extremely low luminosity galaxies (down to MR≃-11 or about 5 × 10-5L*) is very steep, with a power-law slope α ≃ -2, as would be expected in many theories of galaxy formation via hierarchical clustering, supporting previous observational evidence at somewhat higher luminosities in other clusters.

KW - Galaxies: clusters: individual (Virgo)

KW - Galaxies: elliptical and lenticular, cD

KW - Galaxies: evolution

KW - Galaxies: luminosity function, mass function

KW - Galaxies: photometry

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=22444455562&partnerID=8YFLogxK

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:22444455562

SN - 0004-637X

VL - 493

JO - Astrophysical Journal

JF - Astrophysical Journal

IS - 2 PART II

ER -

Dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the Virgo Cluster

Abstract

Keywords

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