Gas Rich Dwarfs from the PSS-II I. Catalog and Characteristics

Abstract

This project is a visual search for field dwarf galaxies using Second Palomar Sky Survey photographic plates. A morphologically selected sample of 310 objects yielded 145 detections of true dwarfs within a redshift search window of 0 to 10,000 km sec^-1. We confirm the low mass, dwarf nature of the same by comparison of luminosity, isophotal size, HI mass and HI profile width distribution of other dwarf samples. The goal of this project is to use these newly discovered dwarf galaxies to map large scale structure as a test of biased galaxy formation. Initial indicators are that the large scale distribution of dwarf galaxies is identical to bright, high mass galaxies, in contradiction to theory using biasing. The full analysis of the sample will be reported in the final paper of our series.