Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-1-1995
Abstract
Optical surveys for galaxies are biased against the inclusion of low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies. Disney [Nature, 263, 573 (1976)] suggested that the constancy of disk central surface brightness noticed by Freeman [ApJ, 160, 811 (1970)] was not a physical result, but instead was an artifact of sample selection. Since LSB galaxies do exist, the pertinent and still controversial issue is if these newly discovered galaxies constitute a significant percentage of the general galaxy population. In this paper, we address this issue by determining the space density of galaxies as a function of disk central surface brightness. Using the physically reasonable assumption (which is motivated by the data) that central surface brightness is independent of disk scale length, we arrive at a distribution which is roughly flat (i.e., approximately equal numbers of galaxies at each surface brightness) faintwards of the Freeman (1970) value. Brightwards of this, we find a sharp decline in the distribution which is analogous to the turn down in the luminosity function at L*. An intrinsically sharply peaked "Freeman law" distribution can be completely ruled out, and no Gaussian distribution can fit the data. Low surface brightness galaxies (those with central surface brightness fainter than 22 B mag arcsec-2) comprise ≳1/2 the general galaxy population, so a representative sample of galaxies at z=0 does not really exist at present since past surveys have been insensitive to this component of the general galaxy population. © 1995 American Astronomical Society.
Keywords
galaxies: structure, galaxies: fundamental parameters, astrophysics
Publication Title
Astronomical Journal
Rights
© The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved. This content is free to access, download, and share. For all other uses, you must obtain permission to reuse content: https://journals.aas.org/article-charges-and-copyright/#AAS_material
Recommended Citation
McGaugh, S. S., Bothun, G. D., and Schombert, J. M., “Galaxy Selection and the Surface Brightness Distribution”, The Astronomical Journal, vol. 110, IOP, p. 573, 1995. doi:10.1086/117543.
Manuscript Version
Final Publisher Version