On the dynamics of the satellite galaxies in NGC 5044
  The NGC 5044 galaxy group is dominated by a luminous elliptical galaxy which is surrounded by ~160 dwarf satellites. The projected number density profile of this dwarf population deviates within ~1/3 of the virial radius from a projected NFW-profile, which is assumed to approximate the underlying total matter distribution. By means of a semi-analytic model we demonstrate that the interplay between gravitation, dynamical friction and tidal mass loss and destruction can explain the observed number density profile. We use only two parameters in our models: the total to stellar mass fraction of the satellite halos and the disruption efficiency. The disruption efficiency is expressed by a minimum radius. If the tidal radius of the galaxy (halo) falls below this radius the galaxies is assumed to become unobservable. The preferred parameters are an initial total to stellar mass fraction of ~20 and a disruption radius of 4 kpc. In that model about 20% of all the satellites are totally disrupted on their orbits within the group environment. Dynamical friction is less important in shaping the inner slope of the number density profile since the reduction in mass by tidal forces lowers the impact of the friction term. The main destruction mechanism is tide. In the preferred model the total B-band luminosity of all the disrupted galaxies is about twice the observed luminosity of the central elliptical galaxy, indicating that a significant fraction of stars are scattered into the intragroup medium.(Abridged) 
Andreas Faltenbacher (University of California, Santa Cruz, CA)   William G. Mathews (University of California, Santa Cruz, CA)