Identifying Dwarfs of MC Analog GalaxiEs (ID-MAGE): The Search for Satellites around Low-mass Hosts

We present results from Identifying Dwarfs of MC Analog GalaxiEs (ID-MAGE), a survey aimed at identifying and characterizing unresolved satellite galaxies around 35 nearby LMC- and SMC-mass hosts ( D  = 4−10 Mpc). We use archival DESI Legacy Survey imaging data and perform an extensive search for dw...

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Main Authors: Laura Congreve Hunter, Burçİn Mutlu-Pakdİl, David J. Sand, Paul Bennet, Donghyeon J. Khim, Denija Crnojević, Amandine Doliva-Dolinsky, Emmanuel Durodola, Catherine Fielder, Rowan Goebel-Bain, Michael G. Jones, Ananthan Karunakaran, Kristine Spekkens, Dennis Zaritsky
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: IOP Publishing 2025-01-01
Series:The Astrophysical Journal
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ade9a4
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author Laura Congreve Hunter
Burçİn Mutlu-Pakdİl
David J. Sand
Paul Bennet
Donghyeon J. Khim
Denija Crnojević
Amandine Doliva-Dolinsky
Emmanuel Durodola
Catherine Fielder
Rowan Goebel-Bain
Michael G. Jones
Ananthan Karunakaran
Kristine Spekkens
Dennis Zaritsky
author_facet Laura Congreve Hunter
Burçİn Mutlu-Pakdİl
David J. Sand
Paul Bennet
Donghyeon J. Khim
Denija Crnojević
Amandine Doliva-Dolinsky
Emmanuel Durodola
Catherine Fielder
Rowan Goebel-Bain
Michael G. Jones
Ananthan Karunakaran
Kristine Spekkens
Dennis Zaritsky
author_sort Laura Congreve Hunter
collection DOAJ
description We present results from Identifying Dwarfs of MC Analog GalaxiEs (ID-MAGE), a survey aimed at identifying and characterizing unresolved satellite galaxies around 35 nearby LMC- and SMC-mass hosts ( D  = 4−10 Mpc). We use archival DESI Legacy Survey imaging data and perform an extensive search for dwarf satellites, extending out to a radius of 150 kpc (∼ R _vir ). We identify 355 candidate satellite galaxies, including 264 new discoveries. Extensive tests with injected galaxies demonstrate that the survey is complete down to M _V  ∼ −9.0 (assuming the distance of the host) and μ _0, _V  ∼ 26 mag arcsec ^−2 (assuming an n  = 1 Sérsic profile). We perform consistent photometry, via Sérsic profile fitting, on all candidates and have initiated a comprehensive follow-up campaign to confirm and characterize candidates. Through a systematic visual inspection campaign, we classify the top candidates as high-likelihood satellites. On average, we find 4.0 ± 1.4 high-likelihood candidate satellites per LMC-mass host and 2.1 ± 0.6 per SMC-mass host, which is within the range predicted by cosmological models. We use this sample to establish upper and lower estimates on the satellite luminosity function of LMC-/SMC-mass galaxies. ID-MAGE nearly triples the number of low-mass galaxies surveyed for satellites with well-characterized completeness limits, providing a unique data set to explore small-scale structure and dwarf galaxy evolution around low-mass hosts in diverse environments.
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spelling doaj-art-30472fc762fc41ec9a9155080fa12c8c2025-08-20T03:38:59ZengIOP PublishingThe Astrophysical Journal1538-43572025-01-0198915810.3847/1538-4357/ade9a4Identifying Dwarfs of MC Analog GalaxiEs (ID-MAGE): The Search for Satellites around Low-mass HostsLaura Congreve Hunter0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5368-3632Burçİn Mutlu-Pakdİl1https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9649-4815David J. Sand2https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4102-380XPaul Bennet3https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8354-7279Donghyeon J. Khim4https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7013-4392Denija Crnojević5https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1763-4128Amandine Doliva-Dolinsky6https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9775-9029Emmanuel Durodola7https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9516-9593Catherine Fielder8https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8245-779XRowan Goebel-Bain9Michael G. Jones10https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5434-4904Ananthan Karunakaran11https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8855-3635Kristine Spekkens12https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0956-7949Dennis Zaritsky13https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5177-727XDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College , 6127 Wilder Laboratory, Hanover, NH 03755, USA ; laura.c.hunter@dartmouth.eduDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College , 6127 Wilder Laboratory, Hanover, NH 03755, USA ; laura.c.hunter@dartmouth.eduSteward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065, USASpace Telescope Science Institute , 3700 San Martin Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, USASteward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065, USADepartment of Physics & Astronomy, University of Tampa , 401 West Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33606, USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College , 6127 Wilder Laboratory, Hanover, NH 03755, USA ; laura.c.hunter@dartmouth.edu; Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Tampa , 401 West Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33606, USA; Department of Physics, University of Surrey , Guildford, Surrey GU2 7XH, UKDepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College , 6127 Wilder Laboratory, Hanover, NH 03755, USA ; laura.c.hunter@dartmouth.eduSteward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065, USADepartment of Physics and Astronomy, Dartmouth College , 6127 Wilder Laboratory, Hanover, NH 03755, USA ; laura.c.hunter@dartmouth.eduSteward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065, USADepartment of Astronomy & Astrophysics, University of Toronto , Toronto, ON M5S 3H4, CanadaDepartment of Physics, Engineering Physics and Astronomy, Queen’s University , Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, CanadaSteward Observatory, University of Arizona , 933 North Cherry Avenue, Tucson, AZ 85721-0065, USAWe present results from Identifying Dwarfs of MC Analog GalaxiEs (ID-MAGE), a survey aimed at identifying and characterizing unresolved satellite galaxies around 35 nearby LMC- and SMC-mass hosts ( D  = 4−10 Mpc). We use archival DESI Legacy Survey imaging data and perform an extensive search for dwarf satellites, extending out to a radius of 150 kpc (∼ R _vir ). We identify 355 candidate satellite galaxies, including 264 new discoveries. Extensive tests with injected galaxies demonstrate that the survey is complete down to M _V  ∼ −9.0 (assuming the distance of the host) and μ _0, _V  ∼ 26 mag arcsec ^−2 (assuming an n  = 1 Sérsic profile). We perform consistent photometry, via Sérsic profile fitting, on all candidates and have initiated a comprehensive follow-up campaign to confirm and characterize candidates. Through a systematic visual inspection campaign, we classify the top candidates as high-likelihood satellites. On average, we find 4.0 ± 1.4 high-likelihood candidate satellites per LMC-mass host and 2.1 ± 0.6 per SMC-mass host, which is within the range predicted by cosmological models. We use this sample to establish upper and lower estimates on the satellite luminosity function of LMC-/SMC-mass galaxies. ID-MAGE nearly triples the number of low-mass galaxies surveyed for satellites with well-characterized completeness limits, providing a unique data set to explore small-scale structure and dwarf galaxy evolution around low-mass hosts in diverse environments.https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ade9a4Low surface brightness galaxiesDwarf galaxiesGalaxy evolution
spellingShingle Laura Congreve Hunter
Burçİn Mutlu-Pakdİl
David J. Sand
Paul Bennet
Donghyeon J. Khim
Denija Crnojević
Amandine Doliva-Dolinsky
Emmanuel Durodola
Catherine Fielder
Rowan Goebel-Bain
Michael G. Jones
Ananthan Karunakaran
Kristine Spekkens
Dennis Zaritsky
Identifying Dwarfs of MC Analog GalaxiEs (ID-MAGE): The Search for Satellites around Low-mass Hosts
The Astrophysical Journal
Low surface brightness galaxies
Dwarf galaxies
Galaxy evolution
title Identifying Dwarfs of MC Analog GalaxiEs (ID-MAGE): The Search for Satellites around Low-mass Hosts
title_full Identifying Dwarfs of MC Analog GalaxiEs (ID-MAGE): The Search for Satellites around Low-mass Hosts
title_fullStr Identifying Dwarfs of MC Analog GalaxiEs (ID-MAGE): The Search for Satellites around Low-mass Hosts
title_full_unstemmed Identifying Dwarfs of MC Analog GalaxiEs (ID-MAGE): The Search for Satellites around Low-mass Hosts
title_short Identifying Dwarfs of MC Analog GalaxiEs (ID-MAGE): The Search for Satellites around Low-mass Hosts
title_sort identifying dwarfs of mc analog galaxies id mage the search for satellites around low mass hosts
topic Low surface brightness galaxies
Dwarf galaxies
Galaxy evolution
url https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/ade9a4
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