ANTLIA B: A FAINT DWARF GALAXY MEMBER of the NGC 3109 ASSOCIATION

We report the discovery of Antlia B, a faint dwarf galaxy at a projected distance of ∼72 kpc from NGC 3109 (M_V ∼ -15 mag), the primary galaxy of the NGC 3109 dwarf association at the edge of the Local Group. The tip of the red giant branch distance to Antlia B is D = 1.29 � 0.10 Mpc, which is consistent with the distance to NGC 3109. A qualitative analysis indicates the new dwarf's stellar population has both an old, metal-poor red giant branch (≳10 Gyr, [Fe/H] ∼ -2), and a younger blue population with an age of ∼200-400Myr, analogous to the original Antlia dwarf, another likely satellite of NGC 3109. Antlia B has H I gas at a velocity of ^νhelio,H I = 376 kms^-1, confirming the association with NGC 3109 (^vhelio = 403 km s^-1). The H I gas mass (M_{H I} = 2.8 � 0.2 � 10⁵ M_⊙), stellar luminosity (M_V = -9.7 � 0.6 mag) and half light radius (r_h = 273 � 29 pc) are all consistent with the properties of dwarf irregular and dwarf spheroidal galaxies in the Local Volume, and is most similar to the Leo P dwarf galaxy. The discovery of Antlia B is the initial result from a Dark Energy Camera survey for halo substructure and faint dwarf companions to NGC 3109 with the goal of comparing observed substructure withexpectations from the λ+Cold Dark Matter model in the sub-Milky Way regime.