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| Paper: |
The Dwarf Galaxy Population of the Hickson Compact Group 68 |
| Volume: |
176, Observational Cosmology: The Development of Galaxy Systems |
| Page: |
122 |
| Authors: |
Mendes de Oliveira, Claudia; Bolte, Michael |
| Abstract: |
We have searched for low-luminosity dwarf galaxies in the Hickson compact group 68 (HCG 68) using B and R CCD images of the central 0.72 degree^2 of the group. Our goal is the study of the clustering properties of the dwarf galaxies and the determination of the group luminosity function. Low-surface brightness dwarf galaxies to a median limiting isophote of μ_R = 25.3 mag/arcsec^2 were cataloged. A total of 45 galaxies were found with angular diameters at the limiting isophote &thetas;lim > 3 arcsec, with scale lengths α > 2 arcsec and R central surface brightnesses μ_0 > 22 mag arcsec^{-2}. The largest low-surface brightness galaxy found in the region surveyed has a scale-size of 11 arcsec (2.0 kpc). Fits to the R profiles of 26 galaxies with scale lengths greater than 3^'' showed that the majority of the systems are well fit by exponential profiles. The dwarf galaxies found in HCG 68 have surface brightnesses and sizes comparable to those in Virgo but the number density is several times lower. The spatial distribution of low-surface brightness dwarf galaxies in HCG 68 is concentrated towards the group center. |
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