An automated search for nearby low-surface-brightness galaxies - I. The catalogue

We have developed an automatic technique to search for low-surface-brightness (LSB) galaxies in the local Universe (v ≤ 5000 km s(-1)) using the automated plate measuring (APM) scan data of UK Schmidt photographic plates. We optimized our technique and selection criteria by surveying the known LSB galaxies in the Fornax cluster. Plate-to-plate magnitude calibrations were carried out using independent CCD sequences. The galaxies we detected are brighter than 20 B mag, have scalesizes greater than 3 arcsec and a central surface brightness fainter than 22.5 mag arcsec(-2). In total 2435 LSB galaxies were detected over a total area of 2187 deg(2). The survey covers the Fornax cluster, NGC 1400, Sculptor and Dorado groups and the field between. We detect on average 32 LSB galaxies per 5.8 °× 5.8 ° field. We have estimated the background (v>5000 km s(-1)) contamination in three ways: by numerical modelling, using a limited redshift sample and comparing our Fornax data with those of Ferguson. The results indicate a contamination of about 19 galaxies per field