Properties of Two New M31 dSph Companions from Keck Imaging

Abstract

We have obtained Keck Low Resolution Imaging Spectrograph images in V and I of the newly discovered Local Group dwarf galaxies Pegasus dSph and Cassiopeia dSph and their surrounding field. The first stellar luminosity functions and color-magnitude diagrams are presented for stars with V <~ 25 and I <~ 24. The distances to the new dwarfs are estimated from the apparent I mag of the tip of the red giant branch to be: D_MW (Peg dSph) = 830 +/- 80 kpc and D_MW (Cas dSph) = 760 +/- 70 kpc, consistent with their belonging to the extended M31 satellite system. Both galaxies are dwarf spheroidals (dSphs) with red giant branch morphologies indicating predominantly old stellar populations and estimated mean metallicities, <[Fe/H]>, of -1.3 +/- 0.3 for Peg dSph and -1.4 +/- 0.3 for Cas dSph. Their central surface brightness-<[Fe/H]>-absolute magnitude relationship follows that of other Local Group dSphs, dwarf ellipticals, and dwarf irregulars. In contrast to four out of nine Milky Way dSphs (the four that lie beyond D_MW =100 kpc), none of the six known M31 dSphs appears to have a dominant intermediate-age population.