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A. Melott (University of Kansas)
We focus on emerging correlations between galaxy cluster properties with their supercluster environment, in some ways similar to the now well-known dependences of galaxy morphology on environment.
This is an excellent time to study this from both a theoretical and observational standpoint. Cluster formation is now beginning to be well-understood in the context of gravitational instability theory. Numerical simulations have matured to the point that it is possible to model the formation of a cluster, including gas-dynamical effects, with some completeness of included physics. One large cluster redshift survey is nearly complete, and has yielded interesting results on how cluster properties depend upon environment. Additional surveys are being done and will be done in connection with cluster catalogs being produced based on both optical and X-ray data.
I will present a brief overview of this emerging field.