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The NGC 3109 Satellite System: The First Systematic Resolved Search for Dwarf Galaxies Around an SMC-mass Host

Doliva-Dolinsky, Amandine (ORCID:0000000197759029)·Mutlu-Pakdil, Burçin (ORCID:0000000196494815)·Crnojević, Denija (ORCID:0000000217634128)·Anbajagane, Dhayaa (ORCID:000000033312909X)·Carlin, Jeffrey L. (ORCID:0000000239369628)·Medoff, Jonah (ORCID:0000000311627346)·Sand, David J. (ORCID:000000034102380X)·Tollerud, Erik (ORCID:000000029599310X)·Lim, Sungsoon (ORCID:0000000250494390)·Bennet, Paul (ORCID:0000000183547279)·Drlica-Wagner, Alex (ORCID:000000018251933X)·Fielder, Catherine E. (ORCID:000000018245779X)·Hargis, Jonathan R. (ORCID:0000000287229806)·Herron, Kai (ORCID:0000000343947491)·Hunter, Laura Congreve (ORCID:0000000153683632)·Jones, Michael G. (ORCID:0000000254344904)·Karunakaran, Ananthan (ORCID:0000000188553635)·Peter, Annika H. G. (ORCID:0000000280406785)·Romanowsky, Aaron J. (ORCID:0000000324730369)·Spekkens, Kristine (ORCID:0000000209567949)·Strader, Jay (ORCID:0000000214689668)·Willman, Beth (ORCID:0000000328929906)·Carballo-Bello, Julio A. (ORCID:000000023690105X)·Cerny, William (ORCID:0000000316977062)·Chaturvedi, Astha (ORCID:0000000151431255)·Kallivayalil, Nitya (ORCID:0000000232041742)·Martínez-Vázquez, Clara E. (ORCID:0000000291447726)·Medina, Gustavo E. (ORCID:0000000301059576)·Noël, Noelia E. D. (ORCID:000000028282469X)·Pace, Andrew B. (ORCID:0000000260218760)·Riley, Alex H. (ORCID:0000000158055766)·Sakowska, Joanna D. (ORCID:0000000215941466)·Smercina, Adam (ORCID:0000000325997524)·Vivas, Kathy (ORCID:0000000343416172)·Adamów, Monika (ORCID:000000026904359X)·Bom, Clecio R. (ORCID:0000000343832969)·Choi, Yumi (ORCID:0000000316801884)·Ferguson, Peter S. (ORCID:0000000169571627)·Navabi, Mahdieh (ORCID:0000000194385228)·Zenteno, Alfredo (ORCID:0000000164559135)
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Abstract

We report the results of the deepest search to date for dwarf galaxies around NGC 3109, a barred spiral galaxy with a mass similar to that of the Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC), using a semiautomated search method. Using the Dark Energy Camera, we survey a region covering a projected distance of ∼70 kpc of NGC 3109 (D = 1.3 Mpc, R vir ∼ 90 kpc, M ∼ 10 8 M*) as part of the MADCASH and DELVE-DEEP programs. We introduce a newly developed semiresolved search method, used alongside a resolved search, to identify crowded dwarf galaxies around NGC 3109. Using both approaches, we successfully recover the known satellites Antlia and Antlia B. We identified a promising candidate, which was later confirmed to be a background dwarf through deep follow-up observations. Our detection limits are well defined, with the sample ∼80% complete down to M V ∼ −8.0, and include detections of dwarf galaxies as faint as M V ∼ −6.0. This is the first comprehensive study of a satellite system through resolved stars around an SMC mass host. Our results show that NGC 3109 has more bright (M V ∼ −9.0) satellites than the mean predictions from cold dark matter models, but well within the host-to-host scatter. A larger sample of LMC/SMC-mass hosts is needed to test whether or not the observations are consistent with current model expectations.

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Doliva-Dolinsky, Amandine (ORCID:0000000197759029), Mutlu-Pakdil, Burçin (ORCID:0000000196494815), Crnojević, Denija (ORCID:0000000217634128), Anbajagane, Dhayaa (ORCID:000000033312909X), Carlin, Jeffrey L. (ORCID:0000000239369628), Medoff, Jonah (ORCID:0000000311627346), Sand, David J. (ORCID:000000034102380X), Tollerud, Erik (ORCID:000000029599310X), Lim, Sungsoon (ORCID:0000000250494390), Bennet, Paul (ORCID:0000000183547279), Drlica-Wagner, Alex (ORCID:000000018251933X), Fielder, Catherine E. (ORCID:000000018245779X), Hargis, Jonathan R. (ORCID:0000000287229806), Herron, Kai (ORCID:0000000343947491), Hunter, Laura Congreve (ORCID:0000000153683632), Jones, Michael G. (ORCID:0000000254344904), Karunakaran, Ananthan (ORCID:0000000188553635), Peter, Annika H. G. (ORCID:0000000280406785), Romanowsky, Aaron J. (ORCID:0000000324730369), Spekkens, Kristine (ORCID:0000000209567949), Strader, Jay (ORCID:0000000214689668), Willman, Beth (ORCID:0000000328929906), Carballo-Bello, Julio A. (ORCID:000000023690105X), Cerny, William (ORCID:0000000316977062), Chaturvedi, Astha (ORCID:0000000151431255), Kallivayalil, Nitya (ORCID:0000000232041742), Martínez-Vázquez, Clara E. (ORCID:0000000291447726), Medina, Gustavo E. (ORCID:0000000301059576), Noël, Noelia E. D. (ORCID:000000028282469X), Pace, Andrew B. (ORCID:0000000260218760), Riley, Alex H. (ORCID:0000000158055766), Sakowska, Joanna D. (ORCID:0000000215941466), Smercina, Adam (ORCID:0000000325997524), Vivas, Kathy (ORCID:0000000343416172), Adamów, Monika (ORCID:000000026904359X), Bom, Clecio R. (ORCID:0000000343832969), Choi, Yumi (ORCID:0000000316801884), Ferguson, Peter S. (ORCID:0000000169571627), Navabi, Mahdieh (ORCID:0000000194385228), Zenteno, Alfredo (ORCID:0000000164559135). 2025-08-01. The NGC 3109 Satellite System: The First Systematic Resolved Search for Dwarf Galaxies Around an SMC-mass Host. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357%2Fade9b8

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