The evolution of galaxy clustering since z=1 from the Calar Alto Deep Imaging Survey

S. Phleps, K. Meisenheimer

Published 2003-06-24Version 1

We present results from an investigation of the clustering evolution of field galaxies between a redshift of z~1 and the present epoch. The current analysis relies on a sample of ~3600 galaxies from the Calar Alto Deep Imaging Survey (CADIS). The redshift distribution extends to z~1.1, with formal errors of sigma_z~0.02. Thus the amplitude of the three-dimensional correlation function can be estimated by means of the projected correlation function w(r_p). We developed a new method to overcome the influence of redshift errors on w(r_p). We parametrise the evolution of the clustering strength with redshift by a parameter q, the values of which give directly the deviation of the evolution from the global Hubble flow. From a subsample of bright galaxies we find q=-2.28+-0.31 for Omega_m=0.3, Omega_Lambda=0.7, that is a significant growth of the clustering strength between z=1 and the present epoch. From linear theory of dark matter clustering growth one would only expect q=-2. Moreover, we establish that the measured clustering strength depends on galaxy type: galaxies with early type SEDs (Hubble type: E0 to Sbc) are more strongly clustered at redshifts z>0.2 than later types. The evolution of the amplitude of the two-point correlation function for these ``old'' galaxies is much slower (q=-0.85+-0.82 for Omega_m=0.3, Omega_Lambda=0.7).