THE CLUSTERING PROPERTIES OF FAINT GALAXIES

The two-point angular correlation function of galaxies, w(theta), has been computed from a new survey of faint galaxies covering a 2 deg(2) area near the north galactic pole. This survey, which is complete to limiting magnitudes J = 24 and F = 23, samples angular scares as large as 1.degrees 5. Faint galaxies are found to be more weakly clustered (by a factor of at least 2) compared to galaxies observed locally. Clustering amplitudes are closer to model predictions in the red than in the blue. The weak clustering of faint galaxies cannot be explained by any plausible model of clustering evolution with redshift. However, one possible explanation of the clustering properties of intermediate-redshift galaxies is that they resemble those of starburst galaxies and H II region galaxies, which are observed locally to possess weak clustering amplitudes. Our clustering amplitudes are also similar to those of nearby late-type galaxies, which are observed to be more weakly clustered than early-type galaxies. A simple, self-consistent model is presented that predicts the fraction of galaxies in the ''excess'' population at intermediate redshifts and correctly matches observed color distributions. The available data on the clustering properties of faint galaxies are consistent with this model if the ''excess'' population of faint blue galaxies is also the weakly clustered population. Evidence is presented that the power-law slope of the angular correlation function becomes shallower at fainter magnitudes. A similar effect is seen locally both for dwarf galaxies and for galaxies with late morphological type; this effect is roughly consistent with the model.