Satellite Luminosity Function Research Articles

The Faint Satellite System of NGC 253: Insights into Low-density Environments and No Satellite Plane* *This paper includes data gathered with the 6.5 m Magellan Telescope at Las Campanas Observatory, Chile.

We have conducted a systematic search around the Milky Way (MW) analog NGC 253 (D = 3.5 Mpc), as a part of the Panoramic Imaging Survey of Centaurus and Sculptor (PISCeS)—a Magellan+Megacam survey to identify dwarfs and other substructures in resolved stellar light around MW-mass galaxies outside of the Local Group. In total, NGC 253 has five satellites identified by PISCeS within 100 kpc with an absolute V-band magnitude of M V < −7. We have additionally obtained deep Hubble Space Telescope imaging of four reported candidates beyond the survey footprint: Do III, Do IV, and dw0036m2828 are confirmed to be satellites of NGC 253, while SculptorSR is found to be a background galaxy. We find no convincing evidence for the presence of a plane of satellites surrounding NGC 253. We construct its satellite luminosity function, which is complete down to M V ≲ −8 out to 100 kpc and M V ≲ −9 out to 300 kpc, and compare it to those calculated for other Local Volume galaxies. Exploring trends in satellite counts and star-forming fractions among satellite systems, we find relationships with host stellar mass, environment, and morphology, pointing to a complex picture of satellite formation, and a successful model has to reproduce all of these trends.

New dwarf galaxy candidates in the sphere of influence of the Sombrero galaxy

ABSTRACT We report the discovery of 40 new satellite dwarf galaxy candidates in the sphere of influence of the Sombrero Galaxy (M104), the most luminous galaxy in the Local Volume. Using the Subaru Hyper Suprime-Cam, we surveyed 14.4 deg2 of its surroundings, extending to the virial radius. Visual inspection of the deep images and galfit modelling yielded a galaxy sample highly complete down to Mg ∼ −9 ($L_{g}\sim 3\times 10^{5}\ \mathrm{ L}_\odot$) and spanning magnitudes −16.4 &amp;lt; Mg &amp;lt; −8 and half-light radii 50 pc &amp;lt; re &amp;lt; 1600 pc assuming the distance of M104. These 40 new candidates, out of which 27 are group members with high confidence, double the number of potential satellites of M104 within the virial radius, placing it among the richest hosts in the Local Volume. Using a principal component analysis, we find that the entire sample of candidates is consistent with an almost circular on-sky distribution, more circular than any comparable environment found in the Illustris TNG100-1 (The Next Generation) simulation. However, the distribution of the high-probability sample is more oblate and consistent with the simulation. The cumulative satellite luminosity function is broadly consistent with analogues from the simulation, albeit it contains no bright satellite with Mg &amp;lt; −16.4 ($L_{g}\sim 3 \times 10^{8}\ \mathrm{ L}_\odot$), a $2.3\, \sigma$ occurrence. Follow-up spectroscopy to confirm group membership will begin to demonstrate how these systems can act as probes of the structure and formation history of the halo of M104.

Implications of the correlation between bulge-to-total baryonic mass ratio and the number of satellites for SAGA galaxies

Context. We searched for correlations between the number of satellites and fundamental galactic properties for the Milky Way-like host galaxies in order to better understand their diverse satellite populations. We specifically aim to understand why galaxies that are very similar in stellar mass content, star formation rate, and local environment have very different numbers of satellites. Aims. Deep and extensive spectroscopic observations are needed to characterize the complete satellite luminosity function beyond the Local Group. One such endeavor is an ongoing Satellites of Galactic Analogs (SAGA) spectroscopic survey that has completed spectroscopic observations of 36 Milky Way-like galaxies within their virial radii down to the luminosity of Leo I dwarf galaxy. We correlated the number of satellites of SAGA galaxies with several fundamental properties of their hosts – including total specific angular momentum, which is considered to be well preserved throughout galaxy lifetime – in an attempt to identify the main driver of their diverse satellite populations. We aim to reveal some intrinsic galactic property decisive in making more or less satellites irrespective of baryonic mass or the environment in which galaxies reside. Methods. We modeled Spitzer Heritage Archive images of SAGA host galaxies at 3.6 and 4.5 microns with GALFIT code to obtain their stellar masses. We also searched the Extragalactic Database for information on their gas content and rotation velocities. Empirical correlations, like the baryonic Tully–Fisher relation and the stellar mass–size relation were used to exclude outliers. Results. All the available galactic properties from the literature along with measured stellar masses were correlated with the number of satellites and no significant correlation was found. However, when we considered the “expected” number of satellites based on the correlation between the baryonic bulge-to-total ratio and the number of satellites confirmed for several nearby galaxies then strong correlations emerge between this number and (1) the mass of the bulge, and (2) the total specific angular momentum. The first correlation is positive, implying that galaxies with more massive bulges have more satellites, as already confirmed. The second correlation with the angular momentum is negative, meaning that, the smaller the angular momentum, the greater the number of expected satellites. This would imply that either satellites cannot form if galaxy angular momentum is too high, or that satellites form inside-out, so that angular momentum is being transferred to the outer parts of the galaxies. However, deeper spectroscopic observations are needed to confirm these findings, because they rely on the expected rather than detected number of satellites. There was a luminosity limit to the SAGA survey equivalent to the luminosity of Leo I dwarf satellite of the Milky Way galaxy (the SAGA limit). In particular, correlations found in this work are very susceptible to the total number of satellites of the NGC 4158 galaxy. This galaxy is predicted to have many more satellites than detected up to the SAGA limit.

Hubble Space Telescope Observations of NGC 253 Dwarf Satellites: Three Ultra-faint Dwarf Galaxies*

Abstract We present deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging of five faint dwarf galaxies associated with the nearby spiral NGC 253 (D ≈ 3.5 Mpc). Three of these are newly discovered dwarf galaxies, while all five were found in the Panoramic Imaging Survey of Centaurus and Sculptor, a Magellan+Megacam survey to identify faint dwarfs and other substructures in resolved stellar light around massive galaxies outside of the Local Group. Our HST data reach ≳3 magnitudes below the tip of the red giant branch for each dwarf, allowing us to derive their distances, structural parameters, and luminosities. All five systems contain mostly old, metal-poor stellar populations (age ∼12 Gyr, [M/H] ≲ −1.5) and have sizes (r h ∼ 110–3000 pc) and luminosities (M V ∼ −7 to −12 mag) largely consistent with Local Group dwarfs. The three new NGC 253 satellites are among the faintest systems discovered beyond the Local Group. We also use archival H i data to place limits on the gas content of our discoveries. Deep imaging surveys such as our program around NGC 253 promise to elucidate the faint end of the satellite luminosity function and its scatter across a range of galaxy masses, morphologies, and environments in the decade to come.

The formation of M101-alike galaxies in the cold dark matter model

ABSTRACT The population of satellite galaxies in a host galaxy is a combination of the cumulative accretion of subhaloes and their associated star formation efficiencies; therefore, the luminosity distribution of satellites provides valuable information of both dark matter properties and star formation physics. Recently, the luminosity function of satellites in nearby Milky Way-mass galaxies has been well measured to satellites as faint as Leo I with MV ∼ −8. In addition to the finding of the diversity in the satellite luminosity functions, it has been noticed that there is a big gap among the magnitude of satellites in some host galaxies, such as M101, where the gap is around 5 in magnitude, noticeably larger than the prediction from the halo abundance matching method. The reason of this gap is still unknown. In this paper, we use a semi-analytical model of galaxy formation, combined with high-resolution N-body simulation, to investigate the probability and origin of such big gap in M101-alike galaxies. We found that, although M101 analogues are very rare with probability of $\sim 0.1\ \mathrm{ to}\ 0.2\,{{\rm per\, cent}}$ in the local universe, their formation is a natural outcome of the cold dark matter model. The gap in magnitude is mainly due to the mass of the accreted subhaloes, not from the stochastic star formation in them. We also found that the gap is correlated with the total satellite mass and host halo mass. By tracing the formation history of M101-type galaxies, we find that they were likely formed after z ∼ 1 due to the newly accreted bright satellites. The gap is not in a stable state, and it will disappear in 7 Gyr due to mergers of bright satellites with the central galaxy.

A search for satellite galaxies of nearby star-forming galaxies with resolved stars in LBT-SONG

ABSTRACT We present results from a resolved stellar population search for dwarf satellite galaxies of six nearby (D &amp;lt; 5 Mpc), sub-Milky Way mass hosts using deep (m ∼ 27 mag) optical imaging from the Large Binocular Telescope. We perform image simulations to quantify our detection efficiency for dwarfs over a large range in luminosity and size, and develop a fast catalogue-based emulator that includes a treatment of unresolved photometric blending. We discover no new dwarf satellites, but we recover two previously known dwarfs (DDO 113 and LV J1228+4358) with MV &amp;lt; −12 that lie in our survey volume. We preview a new theoretical framework to predict satellite luminosity functions using analytical probability distribution functions and apply it to our sample, finding that we predict one fewer classical dwarf and one more faint dwarf (MV ∼ −7.5) than we find in our observational sample (i.e. the observational sample is slightly top-heavy). However, the overall number of dwarfs in the observational sample (2) is in good agreement with the theoretical expectations. Interestingly, DDO 113 shows signs of environmental quenching and LV J1228+4358 is tidally disrupting, suggesting that low-mass hosts may affect their satellites more severely than previously believed.

Can cosmological simulations capture the diverse satellite populations of observed Milky Way analogues?

ABSTRACT The recent advent of deep observational surveys of local Milky Way ‘analogues’ and their satellite populations allows us to place the Milky Way in a broader cosmological context and to test models of galaxy formation on small scales. In this study, we use the Lambda cold dark matter (ΛCDM)-based ARTEMIS suite of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations containing 45 Milky Way analogue host haloes to make comparisons to the observed satellite luminosity functions, radial distribution functions, and abundance scaling relations from the recent Local Volume and SAGA observational surveys, in addition to the Milky Way and M31. We find that, contrary to some previous claims, ΛCDM-based simulations can successfully and simultaneously capture the mean trends and the diversity in both the observed luminosity and radial distribution functions of Milky Way analogues once important observational selection criteria are factored in. Furthermore, we show that, at fixed halo mass, the concentration of the simulated satellite radial distribution is partly set by that of the underlying smooth dark matter halo, although stochasticity due to the finite number of satellites is the dominant driver of scatter in the radial distribution of satellites at fixed halo mass.

Quenching Timescales of Dwarf Satellites around Milky Way–mass Hosts

Abstract Observations of the low-mass satellites in the Local Group have shown high fractions of gas-poor, quiescent galaxies relative to isolated dwarfs, implying that the host halo environment plays an important role in the quenching of dwarf galaxies. In this work, we present measurements of the quenched fractions and quenching timescales of dwarf satellite galaxies in the DC Justice League suite of four high-resolution cosmological zoom-in simulations of Milky Way–mass halos. We show that these simulations accurately reproduce the satellite luminosity functions of observed nearby galaxies, as well as the variation in satellite quenched fractions from M * ∼ 105 M ⊙ to 1010 M ⊙. We then trace the histories of satellite galaxies back to z ∼ 15 and find that many satellites with M * ∼ 106−108 M ⊙ quench within ∼2 Gyr of infall into the host halo, while others in the same mass range remain star-forming for as long as 5 Gyr. We show that this scatter can be explained by the satellite’s gas mass and the ram pressure it feels at infall. Finally, we identify a characteristic stellar mass scale of 108 M ⊙ above which infalling satellites are largely resistant to rapid environmental quenching.

A hierarchical clustering method for quantifying satellite abundance

ABSTRACT We present a new method for quantifying the abundance of satellites around field galaxies and in groups. The method is designed to work with samples such as photometric redshift catalogues, that do not have full spectroscopic coverage, but for which some redshift or distance information is available. It consists of identifying the galaxies most likely to be centrals, and using the clustering signal around them as a template to iteratively decompose the full population into satellite and central populations. Thus, it is similar to performing crowded-field photometry by using isolated stars to determine the point spread function of the image. The method does not identify individual satellites or centrals conclusively, but assigns a probability to each galaxy of being one or the other. Averaged over a large sample, it provides a statistical estimate of satellite abundance, even in crowded fields with large redshift uncertainties. We test the method using data from the COSMOS field, which includes a large set of local objects with accurate photometric redshifts. We measure satellite abundance as a function of central stellar or halo mass, as well as the satellite luminosity function, and find results consistent with previous studies, but extending over a broader range of central masses. We also consider a number of possible systematic uncertainties in the method, and show that they are generally smaller than our random errors. Having presented the method in this paper, we will use it to study the properties of the satellite populations in a forthcoming one.

Luminosity Functions and Host-to-host Scatter of Dwarf Satellite Systems in the Local Volume

Abstract Low-mass satellites around Milky Way (MW)-like galaxies are important probes of small-scale structure and galaxy formation. However, confirmation of satellite candidates with distance measurements remains a key barrier to fast progress in the Local Volume (LV). We measure the surface brightness fluctuation distances to recently cataloged candidate dwarf satellites around 10 massive hosts within D &lt; 12 Mpc to confirm association. The satellite systems of these hosts are complete and mostly cleaned of contaminants down to M g ∼ −9 to −10, within the area of the search footprints. Joining this sample with hosts surveyed to comparable or better completeness in the literature, we explore how well cosmological simulations combined with common stellar to halo mass relations (SHMR) match observed satellite luminosity functions in the classical satellite luminosity regime. Adopting an SHMR that matches hydrodynamic simulations, we find that the predicted overall satellite abundance agrees well with the observations. The MW is remarkably typical in its luminosity function among LV hosts. We find that the host-to-host scatter predicted by the model is in close agreement with the scatter between the observed systems, once the different masses of the observed systems are taken into account. However, we find significant evidence that the observed systems have more bright and fewer faint satellites than the SHMR model predicts, possibly necessitating a higher normalization of the SHMR around halo masses of 1011 M ⊙ or significantly greater scatter than present in common SHMRs. These results demonstrate the utility of nearby satellite systems in inferring the galaxy–subhalo connection in the low-mass regime.

The luminosity functions and redshift evolution of satellites of low-mass galaxies in the COSMOS survey

ABSTRACT The satellite populations of the Milky Way, and Milky Way mass galaxies in the local Universe, have been extensively studied to constrain dark matter and galaxy evolution physics. Recently, there has been a shift to studying satellites of hosts with stellar masses between that of the Large Magellanic Cloud and the Milky Way, since they can provide further insight on hierarchical structure formation, environmental effects on satellites, and the nature of dark matter. Most work is focused on the Local Volume, and little is still known about low-mass host galaxies at higher redshift. To improve our understanding of the evolution of satellite populations of low-mass hosts, we study satellite galaxy populations as a function of host stellar mass 9.5 &amp;lt; log (M*/M⊙) &amp;lt; 10.5 and redshifts 0.1 &amp;lt; $z$ &amp;lt; 0.8 in the COSMOS survey, making this the first study of satellite systems of low-mass hosts across half the age of the universe. We find that the satellite populations of low-mass host galaxies, which we measure down to satellite masses equivalent to the Fornax dwarf spheroidal satellite of the Milky Way, remain mostly unchanged through time. We observe a weak dependence between host stellar mass and number of satellites per host, which suggests that the stellar masses of the hosts are in the power-law regime of the stellar mass to halo mass relation (M*–Mhalo) for low-mass galaxies. Finally, we test the constraining power of our measured cumulative luminosity function to calculate the low-mass end slope of the M*–Mhalo relation. These new satellite luminosity function measurements are consistent with Lamda cold dark matter predictions.

A comparative study of satellite galaxies in Milky Way-like galaxies from HSC, DECaLS, and SDSS

ABSTRACT We conduct a comprehensive and statistical study of the luminosity functions (LFs) for satellite galaxies, by counting photometric galaxies from HSC, DECaLS, and SDSS around isolated central galaxies (ICGs) and paired galaxies from the SDSS/DR7 spectroscopic sample. Results of different surveys show very good agreement. The satellite LFs can be measured down to MV ∼ −10, and for central primary galaxies as small as 8.5 &amp;lt; log10M*/M⊙ &amp;lt; 9.2 and 9.2 &amp;lt; log10M*/M⊙ &amp;lt; 9.9, which implies there are on average 3–8 satellites with MV &amp;lt; −10 around LMC-mass ICGs. The bright end cutoff of satellite LFs and the satellite abundance are both sensitive to the magnitude gap between the primary and its companions, indicating galaxy systems with larger magnitude gaps are on average hosted by less massive dark matter haloes. By selecting primaries with stellar mass similar to our Milky Way (MW), we discovered that (i) the averaged satellite LFs of ICGs with different magnitude gaps to their companions and of galaxy pairs with different colour or colour combinations all show steeper slopes than the MW satellite LF; (ii) there are on average more satellites with −15 &amp;lt; MV &amp;lt; −10 than those in our MW; (iii) there are on average 1.5 to 2.5 satellites with MV &amp;lt; −16 around ICGs, consistent with our MW; (iv) even after accounting for the large scatter predicted by numerical simulations, the MW satellite LF is uncommon at MV &amp;gt; −12. Hence, the MW and its satellite system are statistically atypical of our sample of MW-mass systems. In consequence, our MW is not a good representative of other MW-mass galaxies. Strong cosmological implications based on only MW satellites await additional discoveries of fainter satellites in extra-galactic systems. Interestingly, the MW satellite LF is typical among other MW-mass systems within 40 Mpc in the local Universe, perhaps implying the Local Volume is an underdense region.

The Satellite Luminosity Function of M101 into the Ultra-faint Dwarf Galaxy Regime

Abstract We have obtained deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging of four faint and ultra-faint dwarf galaxy candidates in the vicinity of M101–Dw21, Dw22, Dw23 and Dw35, originally discovered by Bennet et al. Previous distance estimates using the surface brightness fluctuation technique have suggested that these four dwarf candidates are the only remaining viable M101 satellites identified in ground-based imaging out to the virial radius of M101 (D ≈ 250 kpc). Advanced Camera for Surveys imaging of all four dwarf candidates shows no associated resolved stellar populations, indicating that they are thus background galaxies. We confirm this by generating simulated HST color–magnitude diagrams of similar brightness dwarfs at the distance of M101. Our targets would have displayed clear, resolved red giant branches with dozens of stars if they had been associated with M101. With this information, we construct a satellite luminosity function for M101, which is 90% complete to M V = −7.7 mag and 50% complete to M V = −7.4 mag, that extends into the ultra-faint dwarf galaxy regime. The M101 system is remarkably poor in satellites in comparison to the Milky Way and M31, with only eight satellites down to an absolute magnitude of M V = −7.7 mag, compared to the 14 and 26 seen in the Milky Way and M31, respectively. Further observations of Milky Way analogs are needed to understand the halo-to-halo scatter in their faint satellite systems, and connect them with expectations from cosmological simulations.

Milky Way Satellite Census. II. Galaxy–Halo Connection Constraints Including the Impact of the Large Magellanic Cloud

Abstract The population of Milky Way (MW) satellites contains the faintest known galaxies and thus provides essential insight into galaxy formation and dark matter microphysics. Here we combine a model of the galaxy–halo connection with newly derived observational selection functions based on searches for satellites in photometric surveys over nearly the entire high Galactic latitude sky. In particular, we use cosmological zoom-in simulations of MW-like halos that include realistic Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) analogs to fit the position-dependent MW satellite luminosity function. We report decisive evidence for the statistical impact of the LMC on the MW satellite population due to an estimated 6 ± 2 observed LMC-associated satellites, consistent with the number of LMC satellites inferred from Gaia proper-motion measurements, confirming the predictions of cold dark matter models for the existence of satellites within satellite halos. Moreover, we infer that the LMC fell into the MW within the last 2 Gyr at high confidence. Based on our detailed full-sky modeling, we find that the faintest observed satellites inhabit halos with peak virial masses below at 95% confidence, and we place the first robust constraints on the fraction of halos that host galaxies in this regime. We predict that the faintest detectable satellites occupy halos with peak virial masses above , highlighting the potential for powerful galaxy formation and dark matter constraints from future dwarf galaxy searches.

Wide-field Survey of Dwarf Satellite Systems around 10 Hosts in the Local Volume

Abstract We present the results of an extensive search for dwarf satellite galaxies around 10 primary host galaxies in the Local Volume (LV, D &lt; 12 Mpc) using archival CFHT/MegaCam imaging data. The hosts span a wide range in properties, with stellar masses ranging from that of the Large Magellanic Cloud to ∼3 times that of the Milky Way. The surveyed hosts are: NGC 1023, NGC 1156, NGC 2903, NGC 4258, NGC 4565, NGC 4631, NGC 5023, M51, M64, and M104. We detect satellite candidates using a consistent semi-automated detection algorithm that is optimized for the detection of low surface brightness objects. Depending on the host, our completeness limit is M g ∼ −8 to −10 (assuming the distance of the host). We detect objects with surface brightness down to mag arcsec−2 at ≳90% completeness. The survey areas of the six best-surveyed hosts cover most of the inner projected area, which will roughly double the number of massive LV hosts surveyed at this level of area and luminosity completeness, once distances are measured for the candidates. The number of detected candidates range from 1 around M64 to 33 around NGC 4258. In total, 155 candidates are found, of which 93 are new. While we defer an analysis of the satellite luminosity functions of the hosts until distance information is available for the candidates, we do show that the candidates are primarily red, spheroidal systems with properties roughly consistent with known satellites in the Local Group.

Local Group Analogs in ΛCDM Cosmological Simulations

Abstract We use semi-analytic galaxy catalogs based on two high-resolution cosmological N-body simulations, Millennium-WMAP7 and Millennium-II, to investigate the formation of Local Group (LG) analogs. Unlike previous studies, we use the observed stellar masses to select the LG member (Milky Way (MW) and M31) analogs, and then impose constraints using the observed separation, isolation, and kinematics of the two main member galaxies. By comparing radial and low-ellipticity orbits between the MW and M31, we find higher tangential velocity results in higher total mass, which are 10 and 10 for radial and low-ellipticity orbits. The orbits also influence the individual mass distribution of MW and M31 analogs. For radial orbits, typical host halo masses of the MW and M31 are 10 and 10 for low-ellipticity orbits, the masses are 10 and 10 . The LG is located primarily in filaments with tails extending toward higher densities up to . The dark matter velocity anisotropy parameters β of both the MW and M31 analogs are close to zero in the center, increasing to 0.2–0.3 at 50–80 kpc and decreasing slowly outward. The slope is much flatter than computed from the MW satellites, and the amplitude is smaller than traced by halo stars. Values of β from different tracers agree at ∼120 kpc where β ∼ 0.2. We also find that model predictions agree broadly with observations in the radial distribution and luminosity function of satellites around the MW and M31.

The M101 Satellite Luminosity Function and the Halo–Halo Scatter among Local Volume Hosts

Abstract We have obtained deep Hubble Space Telescope (HST) imaging of 19 dwarf galaxy candidates in the vicinity of M101. Advanced Camera for Surveys HST photometry for two of these objects showed resolved stellar populations and tip of the red giant branch derived distances (D ∼ 7 Mpc) consistent with M101 group membership. The remaining 17 were found to have no resolved stellar populations, meaning they are either part of the background NGC 5485 group or are distant low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies. It is noteworthy that many LSB objects that had previously been assumed to be M101 group members based on projection have been shown to be background objects, indicating the need for future diffuse dwarf surveys to be very careful in drawing conclusions about group membership without robust distance estimates. In this work we update the satellite luminosity function of M101 based on the presence of these new objects down to M V = −8.2. M101 is a sparsely populated system with only nine satellites down to M V ≈ −8, as compared with 26 for M31 and 24.5 ± 7.7 for the median host in the Local Volume. This makes M101 by far the sparsest group probed to this depth, although M94 is even sparser to the depth at which it has been examined (M V = −9.1). M101 and M94 share several properties that mark them as unusual compared with the other Local Volume galaxies examined: they have a very sparse satellite population but also have high star-forming fractions among these satellites; such properties are also found in the galaxies examined as part of the Satellites around Galactic Analogs survey. We suggest that these properties appear to be tied to the wider galactic environment, with more isolated galaxies showing sparse satellite populations that are more likely to have had recent star formation, while those in dense environments have more satellites that tend to have no ongoing star formation. Overall, our results show a level of halo-to-halo scatter between galaxies of similar mass that is larger than is predicted in the lambda cold dark matter model.

The Imprint of Cosmic Reionization on the Luminosity Function of Galaxies

Abstract The (re)ionization of hydrogen in the early universe has a profound effect on the formation of the first galaxies: by raising the gas temperature and pressure, it prevents gas from cooling into small halos, thus affecting the abundance of present-day small galaxies. Using the Galform semi-analytic model of galaxy formation, we show that two key aspects of the reionization process—when reionization takes place and the characteristic scale below which it suppresses galaxy formation—are imprinted in the luminosity function of dwarf galaxies. We focus on the luminosity function of satellites of galaxies like the Milky Way and the LMC, which is easier to measure than the luminosity function of the dwarf population as a whole. Our results show that the details of these two characteristic properties of reionization determine the shape of the luminosity distribution of satellites in a unique way, and are largely independent of the other details of the galaxy formation model. Our models generically predict a bimodality in the distribution of satellites as a function of luminosity: a population of faint satellites and population of bright satellites separated by a “valley” forged by reionization. We show that this bimodal distribution is present at high statistical significance in the combined satellite luminosity function of the Milky Way and M31. We make predictions for the expected number of satellites around LMC-mass dwarfs where the bimodality may also be measurable in future observational programs. Our preferred model predicts a total of 26 ± 10 (68% confidence) satellites brighter than M V = 0 in LMC-mass systems.

The total satellite population of the Milky Way

The total number and luminosity function of the population of dwarf galaxies of the Milky Way (MW) provide important constraints on the nature of the dark matter and on the astrophysics of galaxy formation at low masses. However, only a partial census of this population exists because of the flux limits and restricted sky coverage of existing Galactic surveys. We combine the sample of satellites recently discovered by the Dark Energy Survey (DES) with the satellites found in Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) Data Release 9 (together these surveys cover nearly half the sky) to estimate the total luminosity function of satellites down to $M_{\rm V}=0$. We apply a new Bayesian inference method in which we assume that the radial distribution of satellites independently of absolute magnitude follows that of subhaloes selected according to their peak maximum circular velocity. We find that there should be at least $124^{+40}_{-27}$ (68 per cent CL, statistical error) satellites brighter than $M_{\rm V}=0$ within $300$ kpc of the Sun. As a result of our use of new data and better simulations, and a more robust statistical method, we infer a much smaller population of satellites than reported in previous studies using earlier SDSS data only; we also address an underestimation of the uncertainties in earlier work by accounting for stochastic effects. We find that the inferred number of faint satellites depends only weakly on the assumed mass of the MW halo and we provide scaling relations to extend our results to different assumed halo masses and outer radii. We predict that half of our estimated total satellite population of the MW should be detected by the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope. The code implementing our estimation method is available online.

Discovery of Diffuse Dwarf Galaxy Candidates around M101

Abstract We have conducted a search of a 9 deg2 region of the Canada–France–Hawaii-Telescope Legacy Survey around the Milky Way analog M101 (D ∼ 7 Mpc), in order to look for previously unknown low-surface-brightness galaxies. This search has uncovered 38 new low-surface-brightness dwarf candidates, and confirmed 11 previously reported galaxies, all with central surface brightness μ(g, 0) &gt; 23 mag arcsec−2, potentially extending the satellite luminosity function for the M101 group by ∼1.2 mag. The search was conducted using an algorithm that nearly automates the detection of diffuse dwarf galaxies. The candidates’ small sizes and low surface brightnesses mean that the faintest of these objects would likely be missed by traditional visual or computer detection techniques. The dwarf galaxy candidates span a range of −7.1 ≥ M g ≥ −10.2 and half-light radii of 118–540 pc at the distance of M101, and they are well fit by simple Sérsic surface brightness profiles. These properties are consistent with dwarfs in the Local Group, and to match the Local Group luminosity function, ∼10–20 of these candidates should be satellites of M101. Association with a massive host is supported by the lack of detected star formation and the overdensity of candidates around M101 compared to the field. The spatial distribution of the dwarf candidates is highly asymmetric, and concentrated to the northeast of M101, therefore distance measurements will be required to determine if these are genuine members of the M101 group.