ELVES-Dwarf. II. A Systematic Search for Satellite Systems of Dwarf Galaxies in the Local Volume

Year: 2026

Type: preprint

Abstract: We present the Exploration of Local VolumE Satellites of Dwarf Galaxies (ELVES-Dwarf) survey, a systematic census of satellite systems around dwarf hosts in the Local Volume. Our final sample comprises 39 predominantly isolated hosts with stellar masses $10^{7}10^5\,M_\odot$ around the 39 hosts. Above our fiducial completeness threshold of $M_\star\gtrsim10^{5.7}\,M_\odot$ and within the projected virial radius, 21 hosts have no confirmed satellites, 10 have one, six have two, and two have four, revealing substantial host-to-host scatter in satellite abundance. Overall, the observed satellite abundances and stellar mass functions are broadly consistent with predictions from the cosmological simulation TNG50 and galaxy formation models calibrated using Milky Way satellites. The projected radial distribution of the satellites is also consistent with theoretical expectations and with satellite populations around Milky Way-mass hosts. In contrast, the quenched fraction of satellites around dwarf hosts is substantially lower than around Milky Way-mass hosts, suggesting that environmental quenching is less efficient in dwarf halos. ELVES-Dwarf provides the first large, homogeneous, distance-confirmed sample of satellites around dwarf hosts and establishes a foundation for understanding galaxy formation and evolution in less-dense environments.

Source: arXiv (Cornell University)

DOI: 10.48550/arxiv.2609.00283

Authors: Li, Jiaxuan, Greene, Jenny E., Danieli, Shany, Carlsten, Scott G., Moustakas, John, Geha, Marla, Tanaka, Masayuki, Jiang, Fangzhou, Chen, Ping, Birmingham, Sufia

Institutions: Kavli Institute for Particle Astrophysics and Cosmology, Stanford University, Princeton University, Tel Aviv University, Yale University, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Peking University, Zhejiang University

Language: English

Topic: Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena

Subfield: Astronomy and Astrophysics

Field: Physics and Astronomy

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: green

Funders: National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Princeton University, University of Pennsylvania, Ohio State University, California Institute of Technology, University of Chicago, University of Portsmouth, University College London, University of Sussex, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, United States-Israel Binational Science Foundation, Academia Sinica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, Ministerio de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Productiva, Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute, Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization, Toray Science Foundation, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Office of Science, Science and Technology Facilities Council, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Comisión Nacional de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Division of Astronomical Sciences, High Energy Physics, Integrated Electronics Engineering Center, Binghamton University, Argonne National Laboratory, Fermilab, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory

OpenAlex ID: W7206152418