Low luminosity low surface brightness galaxies: challenging Gemini observational limits?

SMITH CASTELLI, A. V.; GONZÁLEZ, N.; FAIFER, F. R.; ESCUDERO, C.

San Francisco

Congreso; Science and Evolution of Gemini Observatory; 2018

Gemini Observatory

The very faint end of the early-type galaxy population is defined by dwarf spheroidal (dSph) galaxies, which are extended objects displaying extremely low-surface brightnesses (mu_g > 24 mag arcsec^{-2}) and no evidence of star formation. Originally identified in the Local Group (LG), the number of studies of this type of galaxies beyond the Local Volume has increased significantly in the last years. The interest in the identification of new examples of such extremely faint galaxies resides in the fact that they can be used as test-beds for constraining models predictions. For example, are they formed in-situ, or are they structures kinematically decoupled and  gravitationally bound that arise from the interaction of massive galaxies? In this context I will present the progress in the study of low surface brightness galaxies in different environments, carried out by the reaserch group on "Extragalactic Stellar Systems and their Cosmological Context" of Instituto de Astrofisica de La Plata (http://seecc.fcaglp.unlp.edu.ar/). Our results are based on deep optical images obtained with the Gemini telescopes.