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Title: The Faint Satellite System of NGC 253: Insights into Low-density Environments and No Satellite Plane*
Abstract 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 absoluteV-band magnitude ofMV< −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 toMV≲ −8 out to 100 kpc andMV≲ −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.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2205863 1814208
PAR ID:
10505477
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
DOI PREFIX: 10.3847
Date Published:
Journal Name:
The Astrophysical Journal
Volume:
966
Issue:
2
ISSN:
0004-637X
Format(s):
Medium: X Size: Article No. 188
Size(s):
Article No. 188
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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