  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)
