Issue |
A&A
Volume 382, Number 1, JanuaryIV 2002
|
|
---|---|---|
Page(s) | 43 - 52 | |
Section | Cosmology (including clusters of galaxies) | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361:20011553 | |
Published online | 15 January 2002 |
An
survey of the Centaurus and Sculptor groups
Constraints on the space density of low mass galaxies
1
Australia Telescope National Facility, PO Box 76, Epping, NSW 1710, Australia
2
School of Physics, Univ. of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3052, Australia
3
Kapteyn Astronomical Institute, PO Box 800, 9700 AV Groningen, The Netherlands
4
Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics, Mount Stromlo Observatory, Cotter Road, Weston ACT 2611, Australia
Corresponding author: W. J. G. de Blok, edeblok@atnf.csiro.au
Received:
29
August
2001
Accepted:
7
November
2001
We present results of two 21-cm surveys
performed with the Australia Telescope Compact Array in the nearby
Centaurus A and Sculptor galaxy groups. These surveys are sensitive
to compact
clouds and galaxies with
masses as low as ~
, and are therefore among the most sensitive
extragalactic
surveys to date. The surveys consist of sparsely
spaced pointings that sample approximately 2% of the groups' area on
the sky. We detected previously known group members, but we found no
new
clouds or galaxies down to the sensitivity limit of the
surveys. If the
mass function had a faint end slope of
below
in these groups, we would
have expected ~
new objects. Cold dark matter theories of
galaxy formation predict the existence of a large number low mass dark matter
sub-halos that might appear as tiny satellites in galaxy groups. Our
results support and extend similar conclusions derived from previous
surveys that a
rich population of these satellites does not exist.
Key words: ISM: clouds / intergalactic medium / galaxies: luminosity function, mass function / radio lines: ISM
© ESO, 2002
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