The Las Campanas/AAT Rich Cluster Survey

Eileen O'Hely
Warrick J. Couch
Ian Smail
Alastair Edge Ann Zabludoff

Department of Astrophysics and Optics, School of Physics, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia, 2052
eoh@edwin.phys.unsw.edu.au, wjc@edwin.phys.unsw.edu.au
Department of Physics, University of Durham, South Rd, Durham, UK, DH1 3LE
ian.smail@durham.ac.uk, ace@durham.ac.uk
UCO/Lick Observatory and Board of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of California at Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, USA, CA 95064
aiz@ucolick.org

Abstract:

Some unsolved cosmological questions remain in relation to the formation of structure in the universe. One way of addressing such questions is to use rich galaxy clusters as tracers of the growth of large-scale structure. To date, studies of rich clusters of galaxies have concentrated on systems generally at either high redshift or in the local universe. The properties of clusters and their constituent galaxies at these extrema are becoming well-understood. In particular, it is becoming clear that rich clusters have undergone considerable evolution both dynamically and in their galaxy populations over the last 5-8Gyr. We are undertaking a detailed study of rich clusters of galaxies in the range . Our results will be directly comparable to previous studies both at high and low redshift and, for the first time, provide continuous coverage across this important and unexplored transitory epoch in terms of galaxy evolution and structure growth in the rich cluster environment.

© Copyright Astronomical Society of Australia 1997