Luminous Satellites of Early-type Galaxies. I. Spatial Distribution

We study the spatial distribution of faint satellites of intermediate redshift (0.1 < z < 0.8), early-type galaxies, selected from the GOODS fields. We combine high-resolution Hubble Space Telescope images and state-of-the-art host subtraction techniques to detect satellites of unprecedented faintness and proximity to intermediate redshift host galaxies (up to 5.5 mag fainter and as close as 0farcs5/2.5 kpc to the host centers). We model the spatial distribution of objects near the hosts as a combination of an isotropic, homogeneous background/foreground population and a satellite population with a power-law radial profile and an elliptical angular distribution. We detect a significant population of satellites (N _s = 1.7^+0.9 _-0.8) that is comparable to the number of Milky Way satellites with similar host-satellite contrast. The average projected radial profile of the satellite distribution is isothermal (γ_p = -1.0^+0.3 _-0.4), which is consistent with the observed central mass density profile of massive early-type galaxies. Furthermore, the satellite distribution is highly anisotropic (isotropy is ruled out at a >99.99% confidence level). Defining phi to be the offset between the major axis of the satellite spatial distribution and the major axis of the host light profile, we find a maximum posterior probability of phi = 0 and |phi| less than 42° at the 68% confidence level. The alignment of the satellite distribution with the light of the host is consistent with simulations, assuming that light traces mass for the host galaxy as observed for lens galaxies. The anisotropy of the satellite population enhances its ability to produce the flux ratio anomalies observed in gravitationally lensed quasars.