A SEARCH FOR LARGE LOW-SURFACE-BRIGHTNESS GALAXIES IN DEEP CCD DATA

In this paper, we describe a search for very low-surface-brightness features in deep CCD frames. We show how cross-correlation with templates can be used to detect low-surface-brightness features, which would not be detected using more typical connected-pixel algorithms. The search technique is specifically designed to search for large, low-surface-brightness galaxies like Malin 1. Although we identify 19 potentially interesting, extended, low-surface-brightness objects, we conclude that Malin 1 type objects per se are less prolific than 'normal' L* galaxies, and that galaxies with - 22 < M(V) < -19 and mu0 almost-equal-to 26 Vmu are at least an order of magnitude less common than their normal-surface-brightness counterparts.