Jose Benavides | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

Rubin J122659.4+090236: An Extremely Low Surface Brightness Galaxy Candidate Discovered in the Rubin LSST Early Data Preview 2

We report the serendipitous discovery of an exceptionally low surface brightness galaxy (LSBG) candidate, Rubin J122659.4+090236, in Rubin Observatory imaging of the interacting NGC 4410 system, identified in the Cosmic Treasure Chest public release. 2D S\'ersic modelling of the Rubin g, r, and i images reveals a nearly round system with a shallow profile (n ~ 0.4), an effective radius of R_e ~ 6'', and central surface brightnesses of $\mu_{0,g}=27.52\pm0.04$, $\mu_{0,r}=27.62\pm0.07$, and $\mu_{0,i}=27.04\pm0.08$ mag arcsec$^{-2}$. EAZY photo-z fitting favours an intermediate-z solution at z~0.3, while a low-redshift solution at z~0.028, consistent with the NGC 4410 system, is also permitted by a restricted EAZY fit over 0<z<0.1 without imposing a redshift prior. These alternatives imply substantially different physical interpretations, ranging from a diffuse dwarf-like system to an exceptionally extended background LSBG. This discovery demonstrates Rubin's sensitivity to extremely diffuse galaxies and highlights the potential of the LSST survey to uncover large samples of such elusive systems across wide areas, enabling systematic studies of the LSBG population and its role in galaxy evolution.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2026

The abundance and radial distribution of faint and ultra-faint dwarfs in galaxy clusters

Cosmological simulations of galaxy clusters are unable to resolve dwarf galaxies due to limited numerical resolution which drives the artificial disruption of dark matter substructures. We address these limitations by combining the results of the cosmological hydrodynamical simulation TNG50 in $\Lambda$CDM with an empirical model of tidal evolution of cluster galaxies calibrated using high-resolution idealized N-body simulations. Applied to the three most massive clusters in TNG50, our model allows us to study the stellar mass and radial distribution of dwarfs well below the formal resolution limit of the parent simulation. We find that, at $z=0$, clusters with virial mass $M_{200} \sim 10^{14}~\mathrm{M_\odot}$ host a vast population of dwarf galaxies within the virial radius, amounting to $2000$-$7000$ systems with $M_* > 100~\mathrm{M_\odot}$. Taken together, these satellites follow a radial distribution that matches the underlying dark matter profile of the host. However, applying a minimum mass or luminosity threshold for detection, as expected in observational studies, tends to exclude the most heavily-stripped objects, which tend to populate the inner regions. Future surveys targeting ultra-faint galaxies in group and cluster environments, such as those made possible by the Euclid, Rubin, or Roman telescopes, will be fundamental to refute or confirm this prediction.

astro-ph.GA↗