The VIMOS-VLT deep survey luminosity dependence of clustering at z ≃ 1

A. Pollo, L. Guzzo, O. Le Févre, B. Meneux, A. Cappi, P. Franzetti, A. Iovino, H. J. McCracken, C. Marinoni, G. Zamorani, D. Bottini, B. Garilli, V. Le Brun, D. Maccagni, J. P. Picat, R. Scaramella, M. Scodeggio, L. Tresse, G. Vettolani, A. ZanichelliC. Adami, S. Arnouts, S. Bardelli, M. Bolzonella, S. Charlot, P. Ciliegi, T. Contini, S. Foucaud, I. Gavignaud, O. Ilbert, B. Marano, A. Mazure, R. Merighi, S. Paltani, R. Pellò, L. Pozzetti, M. Radovich, E. Zucca, M. Bondi, A. Bongiorno, G. Busarello, O. Cucciati, L. Gregorini, F. Lamareille, G. Mathez, Y. Mellier, P. Merluzzi, V. Ripepi, D. Rizzo

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

65 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We investigate the dependence of galaxy clustering on the galaxy intrinsic luminosity at high redshift, using the data from the First Epoch VIMOS-VLT Deep Survey (VVDS). The size (6530 galaxies) and depth (IAB < 24) of the survey allows us to measure the projected two-point correlation function of galaxies, wp(rp), for a set of volume-limited samples up to an effective redshift (z) = 0.9 and median absolute magnitude -19.6 < MB < -21.3. Fitting wp(rp) with a single power-law model for the real-space correlation function ξ(r) = (r/r0)-γ, we measure the relationship of the correlation length r0 and the slope γ with the sample median luminosity for the first time at such high redshift. Values from our lower-redshift samples (0.1 < z < 0.5) are fully consistent with the trend observed by larger local surveys. In our high redshift sample (0.5 < z < 1.2), we find that the clustering strength suddenly rises around M*B, apparently with a sharper inflection than at low redshifts. Galaxies in the faintest sample ((MB) = -19.6) have a correlation length r0 =2.7-0.3 +0.3h-1Mpc, compared to r0 = 5.0 -1.6+1.5h-1 Mpc at (MB) = -21.3. The slope of the correlation function is observed to correspondingly steepen significantly from γ = 1.6-0.1 +0.1to γ= 2.4-0.2+0.4 This is not observed either by large local surveys or in our lower-redshift samples and seems to imply a significant change in the way luminous galaxies trace dark-matter halos at z ∼ 1 with respect to z ∼ 0. At our effective median redshift z ≃ 0.9 this corresponds to a strong difference of the relative bias, from b/b* < 0.7 for galaxies with L < L* to b/b* ≃ 1.4 for galaxies with L > L*.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)409-416
Number of pages8
JournalAstronomy and Astrophysics
Volume451
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - May 2006

Keywords

  • Cosmology: large scale structure of Universe
  • Cosmology: observations
  • Galaxies: evolution
  • Methods: statistical

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Astronomy and Astrophysics
  • Space and Planetary Science

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