Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published December 1, 1985 | Published
Journal Article Open

Galaxy clustering as a function of surface brightness

Abstract

Using diameters and magnitudes of galaxies listed in the Nilson catalog, the angular correlation properties of highand low-surface brightness galaxies are examined. The low-surface brightness galaxies are less tightly clumped than the higher surface brightness galaxies; they also fill in some conspicuous holes in the distribution of the high-surface brightness galaxies. The angular correlations are weaker and shallower for the low-surface brightness galaxies; when account is taken for the differing redshift distribution of the subsets, it is found that the spatial clustering length scale is a factor of two smaller than for the high-surface brightness galaxies. This finding demonstrates that galaxy formation must have been dependent on the large-scale clustering environment and suggests that the luminous galaxy distribution may not be a fair tracer of the mass distribution on any scale. Although the effect is apparent from the sky-projected angular correlations, the relative amplitudes of the spatial clustering must be regarded as preliminary because they are derived from an incomplete and possibly biased redshift sample.

Additional Information

© 1985 The American Astronomical Society. Received 1985 January 8 ; accepted 1985 July 15. We wish to acknowledge G. Bothun for initial discussion of this question. We also thank J. Huchra for readily supplying us with the latest version of ZCAT. A. Szalay collaborated with S. D. in the generation of the correlation program. We acknowledge useful discussions with J. Tonry and N. Kaiser. We thank the referee for cautioning us about the velocity bias. This research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation and by a University of California Regents fellowship to S. D.

Attached Files

Published - 1985ApJ___299___15D.pdf

Files

1985ApJ___299___15D.pdf
Files (524.1 kB)
Name Size Download all
md5:e1f1b03de232c77354132ef402125fae
524.1 kB Preview Download

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 18, 2023