Properties of Two New M31 Dwarf Spheroidal 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 , of -1.3 +/- 0.3 for Peg dSph and -1.4 +/- 0.3 for Cas dSph. Their central surface brightness- -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.