The redshift evolution of clustering in the Hubble Deep Field

Abstract

We present a correlation function analysis for the catalogue of photometric redshifts obtained from the Hubble Deep Field image by Fernandez-Soto, Lanzetta & Yahil. By dividing the catalogue into redshift bins of width Deltaz=0.4 we measured the angular correlation function w(theta) as a function of redshift up to z~4.8. From these measurements we derive the trend of the correlation length r_0. We find that r_0(z) is roughly constant with look-back time up to z~=2, and then increases to higher values at z>~2.4. We estimate the values of r_0, assuming xi(r,z)=[rr_0(z)]^-gamma, gamma=1.8 and various geometries. For Omega_0=1 we find r_0(z=3)~=7.00+/-4.87h^-1Mpc, in good agreement with the values obtained from analysis of the Lyman break galaxies.