KMTNet Nearby Galaxy Survey II. Searching for Dwarf Galaxies in Deep and Wide-field Images of the NGC 1291 System

Abstract We present newly discovered dwarf galaxy candidates in deep and wide-field images of NGC 1291 obtained with the Korea Microlensing Telescope Network. We identify 15 dwarf galaxy candidates by visual inspection. Using imaging simulations, we demonstrate that the completeness rate of our detection is greater than 70% for the central surface-brightness value of μ 0,R  ≲ 26 mag arcsec−2 and for magnitudes M R  ≲ −10 mag. The structural and photometric properties of the dwarf galaxy candidates appear to be broadly consistent with those of ordinary dwarf galaxies in nearby groups and clusters, with μ 0,R  ∼ 22.5 to 26.5 mag arcsec−2 and effective radii of 200 pc to 1 kpc. The dwarf galaxy candidates show a concentration toward NGC 1291 and tend to be redder the closer they are to the center, possibly indicating that they are associated with NGC 1291. The dwarf candidates presented in this paper appear to be bluer than those in denser environments, revealing that the quenching of star formation in dwarf galaxies is susceptible to the environment, while the morphology shaping is not.