Understand
We discuss the approach of searching low mass dwarf galaxies, $\lesssim10^6\textrm{ M}_{\odot}$, in the general field, using integrated light surveys.
- By exploring the limiting surface brightness-spatial resolution ($\mu_{\textrm{eff,lim}}-\theta$) parameter space, we suggest that faint field dwarfs in the Local Volume, between $3$ and $10 \textrm{ Mpc}$, are expected to be detected effectively and in large numbers using integrated light photometric surveys, complementary to the classical star counts method.
- We use a sample of Local Group dwarf galaxies to construct relations between their photometric and structural parameters, $\textrm{M}_{*}$-$\mu_{\textrm{eff,V}}$ and $\textrm{M}_{*}$-$\textrm{R}_{\textrm{eff}}$.
- We use these relations, along with assumed functional forms for the halo mass function and the stellar mass-halo mass relation, to calculate the lowest detectable stellar masses in the Local Volume and the expected number of galaxies as a function of the limiting surface brightness and spatial resolution.