1997/12/02 by S. Phillipps, Q. A. Parker, J. M. Schwartzenberg +1
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics #Brightest cluster galaxy #Cluster (spacecraft) #Dwarf galaxy #Dwarf galaxy problem #Dwarf spheroidal galaxy #Elliptical galaxy #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Galaxy #Galaxy cluster #Galaxy group #Luminosity #Luminosity function #Physics #Virgo Cluster #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1086/311144
8 pages, LateX (uses AASTeX aas2pp4 style file, included), with one embedded postscript figure, also available at http://WWW.star.bris.ac.uk/publs_preprints/preprints.html, accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal Letters
arxiv created 1997/12/02 · openalex publication_date 1998/02/01 · arxiv updated 2009/12/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
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 deg 2 , 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 −5 L ⋆ ) 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.