COMPARISON OF THE QUASAR POPULATIONS IN 2 FIELDS

Samples of quasars from two 18 square degree fields separated by 13 degrees are compared, to look for large-scale surface density fluctuations. The quasars were detected according to strictly similar criteria, on the basis of both variability and ultraviolet excess. No difference between the samples was found at the level of 6 per cent. This is consistent with current measurements of fluctuation in the microwave background and very much less than the large inhomogeneities recently reported by Arp on a scale of tens of degrees. © 1985 Royal Astronomical Society. Provided by the NASA Astrophysics Data System.