Astronomy & Astrophysics

A&A 477, 139-145 (2008)
DOI: 10.1051/0004-6361:20078392

Candidate Milky Way satellites in the Galactic halo

C. Liu^{1, 2}, J. Hu¹, H. Newberg³, and Y. Zhao¹

¹ National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100012, PR China
e-mail: chaoliu@lamost.org
² Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, PR China
³ Department of Physics, Applied Physics, and Astronomy, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY 12180, USA

(Received 1 August 2007 / Accepted 28 September 2007)

Abstract
Aims.Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) DR5 photometric data with $120^{\circ} < \alpha < 270^{\circ}$ , $25^{\circ} < \delta < 70^{\circ}$ were searched for new Milky Way companions or substructures in the Galactic halo.
Methods. Five candidates are identified as overdense faint stellar sources that have color-magnitude diagrams similar to those of known globular clusters, or dwarf spheroidal galaxies. The distance to each candidate is estimated by fitting suitable stellar isochrones to the color-magnitude diagrams. Geometric properties and absolute magnitudes are roughly measured and used to determine whether the candidates are likely dwarf spheroidal galaxies, stellar clusters, or tidal debris.
Results.SDSSJ1000+5730 and SDSSJ1329+2841 are probably faint dwarf galaxy candidates while SDSSJ0814+5105, SDSSJ0821+5608, and SDSSJ1058+2843 are very likely extremely faint globular clusters.
Conclusions.Follow-up study is needed to confirm these candidates.

Key words: Galaxy: structure -- Galaxy: halo -- galaxies: dwarf -- Local Group