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Session 54 - Large Scale Structure.
Display session, Tuesday, January 16
North Banquet Hall, Convention Center
The results from the COBE satellite show the existence of structure on scales on the order of 10% or more of the horizon scale of the universe. Rich clusters of galaxies from the Abell-ACO catalogs show evidence of structure on scales of 100 Mpc and hold the promise of confirming structure on the scale of the COBE result. Unfortunately, until now, redshift information has been unavailable for a large percentage of these clusters, so present knowledge of their three dimensional distribution has quite large uncertainties.
Our approach in this effort has been to use the MX multifiber spectrometer on the Steward 2.3m to measure redshifts of at least ten galaxies in each of 88 Abell cluster fields with richness class R\ge 1 and mag_10 \le 16.8 (estimated z\le 0.12) and zero or one measured redshifts. This work has resulted in a deeper, 95% complete and more reliable sample of 3-D positions of rich clusters. The primary intent of this survey has been to constrain theoretical models for the formation of the structure we see in the universe today through 2-pt. spatial correlation function and other analyses of the large scale structures traced by these clusters. In addition, we have obtained enough redshifts per cluster to greatly improve the quality and size of the sample of reliable cluster velocity dispersions available for use in other studies of cluster properties. This new data has also allowed the construction of an updated and more reliable supercluster candidate catalog.
Our efforts have resulted in effectively doubling the volume traced by these clusters. Presented here is the resulting 2-pt. spatial correlation function, as well as density plots and several other figures quantifying the large scale structure from this much deeper and complete sample. Also, with 10 or more redshifts in most of our cluster fields, we have investigated the extent of projection effects within the Abell catalog in an effort to quantify and understand how this may effect the Abell sample.
