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Title: THE PAndAS VIEW OF THE ANDROMEDA SATELLITE SYSTEM. I. A BAYESIAN SEARCH FOR DWARF GALAXIES USING SPATIAL AND COLOR-MAGNITUDE INFORMATION

Abstract

We present a generic algorithm to search for dwarf galaxies in photometric catalogs and apply it to the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS). The algorithm is developed in a Bayesian framework and, contrary to most dwarf galaxy search codes, makes use of both the spatial and color-magnitude information of sources in a probabilistic approach. Accounting for the significant contamination from the Milky Way foreground and from the structured stellar halo of the Andromeda galaxy, we recover all known dwarf galaxies in the PAndAS footprint with high significance, even for the least luminous ones. Some Andromeda globular clusters are also recovered and, in one case, discovered. We publish a list of the 143 most significant detections yielded by the algorithm. The combined properties of the 39 most significant isolated detections show hints that at least some of these trace genuine dwarf galaxies, too faint to be individually detected. Follow-up observations by the community are mandatory to establish which are real members of the Andromeda satellite system. The search technique presented here will be used in an upcoming contribution to determine the PAndAS completeness limits for dwarf galaxies. Although here tuned to the search of dwarf galaxies in the PAndAS data, the algorithmmore » can easily be adapted to the search for any localized overdensity whose properties can be modeled reliably in the parameter space of any catalog.« less

Authors:
;  [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6]
  1. Observatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, UMR 7550, 11 rue de l'Université, F-67000 Strasbourg (France)
  2. NRC Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics, 5071 West Saanich Road, Victoria, BC V9E 2E7 (Canada)
  3. Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Australian National University, Mount Stromlo Observatory, via Cotter Road, Weston, ACT 2611 (Australia)
  4. Institute for Astronomy, University of Edinburgh, Blackford Hill, Edinburgh EH9 3HJ (United Kingdom)
  5. Institute of Astronomy, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0HA (United Kingdom)
  6. Institute of Astronomy, School of Physics A28, University of Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia)
Publication Date:
OSTI Identifier:
22270764
Resource Type:
Journal Article
Journal Name:
Astrophysical Journal
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Volume: 776; Journal Issue: 2; Other Information: Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); Journal ID: ISSN 0004-637X
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; ALGORITHMS; ASTRONOMY; ASTROPHYSICS; COLOR; DATA ANALYSIS; DETECTION; MILKY WAY; PHOTOMETRY; PROBABILISTIC ESTIMATION; SPACE; STAR CLUSTERS

Citation Formats

Martin, Nicolas F., Ibata, Rodrigo A., McConnachie, Alan W., Mackey, A. Dougal, Ferguson, Annette M. N., Irwin, Michael J., Lewis, Geraint F., and Fardal, Mark A., E-mail: nicolas.martin@astro.unistra.fr. THE PAndAS VIEW OF THE ANDROMEDA SATELLITE SYSTEM. I. A BAYESIAN SEARCH FOR DWARF GALAXIES USING SPATIAL AND COLOR-MAGNITUDE INFORMATION. United States: N. p., 2013. Web. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/776/2/80.
Martin, Nicolas F., Ibata, Rodrigo A., McConnachie, Alan W., Mackey, A. Dougal, Ferguson, Annette M. N., Irwin, Michael J., Lewis, Geraint F., & Fardal, Mark A., E-mail: nicolas.martin@astro.unistra.fr. THE PAndAS VIEW OF THE ANDROMEDA SATELLITE SYSTEM. I. A BAYESIAN SEARCH FOR DWARF GALAXIES USING SPATIAL AND COLOR-MAGNITUDE INFORMATION. United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/776/2/80
Martin, Nicolas F., Ibata, Rodrigo A., McConnachie, Alan W., Mackey, A. Dougal, Ferguson, Annette M. N., Irwin, Michael J., Lewis, Geraint F., and Fardal, Mark A., E-mail: nicolas.martin@astro.unistra.fr. 2013. "THE PAndAS VIEW OF THE ANDROMEDA SATELLITE SYSTEM. I. A BAYESIAN SEARCH FOR DWARF GALAXIES USING SPATIAL AND COLOR-MAGNITUDE INFORMATION". United States. https://doi.org/10.1088/0004-637X/776/2/80.
@article{osti_22270764,
title = {THE PAndAS VIEW OF THE ANDROMEDA SATELLITE SYSTEM. I. A BAYESIAN SEARCH FOR DWARF GALAXIES USING SPATIAL AND COLOR-MAGNITUDE INFORMATION},
author = {Martin, Nicolas F. and Ibata, Rodrigo A. and McConnachie, Alan W. and Mackey, A. Dougal and Ferguson, Annette M. N. and Irwin, Michael J. and Lewis, Geraint F. and Fardal, Mark A., E-mail: nicolas.martin@astro.unistra.fr},
abstractNote = {We present a generic algorithm to search for dwarf galaxies in photometric catalogs and apply it to the Pan-Andromeda Archaeological Survey (PAndAS). The algorithm is developed in a Bayesian framework and, contrary to most dwarf galaxy search codes, makes use of both the spatial and color-magnitude information of sources in a probabilistic approach. Accounting for the significant contamination from the Milky Way foreground and from the structured stellar halo of the Andromeda galaxy, we recover all known dwarf galaxies in the PAndAS footprint with high significance, even for the least luminous ones. Some Andromeda globular clusters are also recovered and, in one case, discovered. We publish a list of the 143 most significant detections yielded by the algorithm. The combined properties of the 39 most significant isolated detections show hints that at least some of these trace genuine dwarf galaxies, too faint to be individually detected. Follow-up observations by the community are mandatory to establish which are real members of the Andromeda satellite system. The search technique presented here will be used in an upcoming contribution to determine the PAndAS completeness limits for dwarf galaxies. Although here tuned to the search of dwarf galaxies in the PAndAS data, the algorithm can easily be adapted to the search for any localized overdensity whose properties can be modeled reliably in the parameter space of any catalog.},
doi = {10.1088/0004-637X/776/2/80},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/22270764}, journal = {Astrophysical Journal},
issn = {0004-637X},
number = 2,
volume = 776,
place = {United States},
year = {Sun Oct 20 00:00:00 EDT 2013},
month = {Sun Oct 20 00:00:00 EDT 2013}
}