Shadows in the dark: Low-surface-brightness galaxies discovered in the dark energy survey

DES Collaboration

doi:10.3847/1538-4365/abca89

Shadows in the dark: Low-surface-brightness galaxies discovered in the dark energy survey

DES Collaboration

Astronomy

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

27 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present a catalog of 23,790 extended low-surface-brightness galaxies (LSBGs) identified in ~5000 deg2 from the first three years of imaging data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). Based on a single-component Sérsic model fit, we define extended LSBGs as galaxies with g-band effective radii Reff (g) > 2."5 and mean surface brightness μmeff (g )> 24.2 mag arcsec-2. We find that the distribution of LSBGs is strongly bimodal in (g-r) versus (g-i) color space. We divide our sample into red (g-i≥0.60) and blue (g-i<0.60) galaxies and study the properties of the two populations. Redder LSBGs are more clustered than their blue counterparts and are correlated with the distribution of nearby (z<0.10) bright galaxies. Red LSBGs constitute ~33% of our LSBG sample, and ~30% of these are located within 1° of low-redshift galaxy groups and clusters (compared to ~8% of the blue LSBGs). For nine of the most prominent galaxy groups and clusters, we calculate the physical properties of associated LSBGs assuming a redshift derived from the host system. In these systems, we identify 41 objects that can be classified as ultradiffuse galaxies, defined as LSBGs with projected physical effective radii Reff > 1.5 kpc and central surface brightness μ0 (g )> 24.0 mag arcsec-2. The wide-area sample of LSBGs in DES can be used to test the role of environment on models of LSBG formation and evolution.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series
Volume	252
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365/abca89
State	Published - Feb 2021

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Astronomy and Astrophysics
Space and Planetary Science

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10.3847/1538-4365/abca89

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@article{d58b827d16854ad0824971e57d032ddb,

title = "Shadows in the dark: Low-surface-brightness galaxies discovered in the dark energy survey",

abstract = "We present a catalog of 23,790 extended low-surface-brightness galaxies (LSBGs) identified in ~5000 deg2 from the first three years of imaging data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). Based on a single-component S{\'e}rsic model fit, we define extended LSBGs as galaxies with g-band effective radii Reff (g) > 2.{"}5 and mean surface brightness μmeff (g )> 24.2 mag arcsec-2. We find that the distribution of LSBGs is strongly bimodal in (g-r) versus (g-i) color space. We divide our sample into red (g-i≥0.60) and blue (g-i<0.60) galaxies and study the properties of the two populations. Redder LSBGs are more clustered than their blue counterparts and are correlated with the distribution of nearby (z<0.10) bright galaxies. Red LSBGs constitute ~33% of our LSBG sample, and ~30% of these are located within 1° of low-redshift galaxy groups and clusters (compared to ~8% of the blue LSBGs). For nine of the most prominent galaxy groups and clusters, we calculate the physical properties of associated LSBGs assuming a redshift derived from the host system. In these systems, we identify 41 objects that can be classified as ultradiffuse galaxies, defined as LSBGs with projected physical effective radii Reff > 1.5 kpc and central surface brightness μ0 (g )> 24.0 mag arcsec-2. The wide-area sample of LSBGs in DES can be used to test the role of environment on models of LSBG formation and evolution.",

author = "{DES Collaboration} and D. Tanoglidis and A. Drlica-Wagner and K. Wei and Li, {T. S.} and J. S{\'a}nchez and Y. Zhang and Peter, {A. H.G.} and A. Feldmeier-Krause and J. Prat and K. Casey and A. Palmese and C. S{\'a}nchez and J. DeRose and C. Conselice and L. Gagnon and Abbott, {T. M.C.} and M. Aguena and S. Allam and S. Avila and K. Bechtol and E. Bertin and S. Bhargava and D. Brooks and Burke, {D. L.} and {Carnero Rosell}, A. and {Carrasco Kind}, M. and J. Carretero and C. Chang and M. Costanzi and {Da Costa}, {L. N.} and {De Vicente}, J. and S. Desai and Diehl, {H. T.} and P. Doel and Eifler, {T. F.} and S. Everett and Evrard, {A. E.} and B. Flaugher and J. Frieman and J. Garc{\'i}a-Bellido and Gerdes, {D. W.} and Gruendl, {R. A.} and J. Gschwend and G. Gutierrez and Hartley, {W. G.} and Hollowood, {D. L.} and D. Huterer and James, {D. J.} and E. Krause and K. Kuehn",

year = "2021",

month = feb,

doi = "10.3847/1538-4365/abca89",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "252",

journal = "Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series",

issn = "0067-0049",

publisher = "IOP Publishing Ltd.",

number = "2",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Shadows in the dark

T2 - Low-surface-brightness galaxies discovered in the dark energy survey

AU - DES Collaboration

AU - Tanoglidis, D.

AU - Drlica-Wagner, A.

AU - Wei, K.

AU - Li, T. S.

AU - Sánchez, J.

AU - Zhang, Y.

AU - Peter, A. H.G.

AU - Feldmeier-Krause, A.

AU - Prat, J.

AU - Casey, K.

AU - Palmese, A.

AU - Sánchez, C.

AU - DeRose, J.

AU - Conselice, C.

AU - Gagnon, L.

AU - Abbott, T. M.C.

AU - Aguena, M.

AU - Allam, S.

AU - Avila, S.

AU - Bechtol, K.

AU - Bertin, E.

AU - Bhargava, S.

AU - Brooks, D.

AU - Burke, D. L.

AU - Carnero Rosell, A.

AU - Carrasco Kind, M.

AU - Carretero, J.

AU - Chang, C.

AU - Costanzi, M.

AU - Da Costa, L. N.

AU - De Vicente, J.

AU - Desai, S.

AU - Diehl, H. T.

AU - Doel, P.

AU - Eifler, T. F.

AU - Everett, S.

AU - Evrard, A. E.

AU - Flaugher, B.

AU - Frieman, J.

AU - García-Bellido, J.

AU - Gerdes, D. W.

AU - Gruendl, R. A.

AU - Gschwend, J.

AU - Gutierrez, G.

AU - Hartley, W. G.

AU - Hollowood, D. L.

AU - Huterer, D.

AU - James, D. J.

AU - Krause, E.

AU - Kuehn, K.

PY - 2021/2

Y1 - 2021/2

N2 - We present a catalog of 23,790 extended low-surface-brightness galaxies (LSBGs) identified in ~5000 deg2 from the first three years of imaging data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). Based on a single-component Sérsic model fit, we define extended LSBGs as galaxies with g-band effective radii Reff (g) > 2."5 and mean surface brightness μmeff (g )> 24.2 mag arcsec-2. We find that the distribution of LSBGs is strongly bimodal in (g-r) versus (g-i) color space. We divide our sample into red (g-i≥0.60) and blue (g-i<0.60) galaxies and study the properties of the two populations. Redder LSBGs are more clustered than their blue counterparts and are correlated with the distribution of nearby (z<0.10) bright galaxies. Red LSBGs constitute ~33% of our LSBG sample, and ~30% of these are located within 1° of low-redshift galaxy groups and clusters (compared to ~8% of the blue LSBGs). For nine of the most prominent galaxy groups and clusters, we calculate the physical properties of associated LSBGs assuming a redshift derived from the host system. In these systems, we identify 41 objects that can be classified as ultradiffuse galaxies, defined as LSBGs with projected physical effective radii Reff > 1.5 kpc and central surface brightness μ0 (g )> 24.0 mag arcsec-2. The wide-area sample of LSBGs in DES can be used to test the role of environment on models of LSBG formation and evolution.

AB - We present a catalog of 23,790 extended low-surface-brightness galaxies (LSBGs) identified in ~5000 deg2 from the first three years of imaging data from the Dark Energy Survey (DES). Based on a single-component Sérsic model fit, we define extended LSBGs as galaxies with g-band effective radii Reff (g) > 2."5 and mean surface brightness μmeff (g )> 24.2 mag arcsec-2. We find that the distribution of LSBGs is strongly bimodal in (g-r) versus (g-i) color space. We divide our sample into red (g-i≥0.60) and blue (g-i<0.60) galaxies and study the properties of the two populations. Redder LSBGs are more clustered than their blue counterparts and are correlated with the distribution of nearby (z<0.10) bright galaxies. Red LSBGs constitute ~33% of our LSBG sample, and ~30% of these are located within 1° of low-redshift galaxy groups and clusters (compared to ~8% of the blue LSBGs). For nine of the most prominent galaxy groups and clusters, we calculate the physical properties of associated LSBGs assuming a redshift derived from the host system. In these systems, we identify 41 objects that can be classified as ultradiffuse galaxies, defined as LSBGs with projected physical effective radii Reff > 1.5 kpc and central surface brightness μ0 (g )> 24.0 mag arcsec-2. The wide-area sample of LSBGs in DES can be used to test the role of environment on models of LSBG formation and evolution.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85101659581&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=85101659581&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.3847/1538-4365/abca89

DO - 10.3847/1538-4365/abca89

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85101659581

SN - 0067-0049

VL - 252

JO - Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series

JF - Astrophysical Journal, Supplement Series

IS - 2

ER -

Shadows in the dark: Low-surface-brightness galaxies discovered in the dark energy survey

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Low-surface-brightness galaxies from DES Y3

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Shadows in the dark: Low-surface-brightness galaxies discovered in the dark energy survey

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ASJC Scopus subject areas

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Low-surface-brightness galaxies from DES Y3

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