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R. E. Wilcox (U. of Washington), D. J. Norman (CTIO/NSFAAPF)
The detection and mapping of galaxy clusters is an important element of understanding the structure of the universe, its history and its evolution. Presented here is a demonstration of a method of cluster detection, called the cluster red sequence method (CRS), which uses the observed red sequence of elliptical galaxies as an indication of a cluster. The red sequence is an observed property of all rich clusters, which have cores composed of coeval elliptical galaxies. At a particular redshift, the ellipticals that make up the sequence are redder than all normal galaxies at a lower redshift. This fact allows us to eliminate contamination from foreground galaxies. Other advantages are the relative ease of obtaining approximate redshifts and the need for images in only two common filters. One limitation of the CRS method is that it assumes a particular definition of a cluster, i.e., a rich cluster with a core of ellipticals, and hence it may not be capable of finding other structures that do not fit this definition, such as dark clusters.
We are in the process of developing tools that would allow us to quickly and reliably search Deep Lens Survey (DLS) data for clusters using the CRS method. Presented here are the results of a preliminary test of our tools using one subfield of the DLS.
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Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 35#5
© 2003. The American Astronomical Soceity.