1998/12/11 by J. B. Jones, S. Phillipps, Jones, J. B. +5
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy and Astrophysical Research #Astrophysics (astro-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Stellar, planetary, and galactic studies #astro-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/9812227
8 pages, LaTeX (uses ASP Conference Series paspconf.sty style file, included), with four embedded postscript figures, to appear in `The Low Surface Brightness Universe', Proceedings of I.A.U. Colloquium No. 171, Cardiff, eds. J. I. Davies, C. D. Impey & S. Phillipps, publ. Astronomical Society of the Pacific
arxiv created 1998/12/11 · openalex publication_date 1998/12/11 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28
We describe a new, deep photographic survey of the Virgo Cluster which uses multiple exposures on Tech Pan film with the United Kingdom Schmidt Telescope to probe the dwarf population to fainter surface brightness limits than previous surveys. We have identified galaxies having sizes (>= 3 arcsec scale length) and surface brightnesses (<= 24.5 R mag arcsec-2) characteristic of those expected for dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the cluster. The survey is providing substantial samples of extremely low luminosity galaxies outside the environment of the Local Group and nearby groups for the first time. An initial study of two small areas has found dwarf spheroidal candidates in large numbers (500 deg-2) which indicate a steep, continuously rising luminosity function at low luminosities.