Spatial clustering of USS sources and galaxies

Abstract

We present measurements of the clustering properties of galaxies in the field of redshift range $0.5\lesssim z\lesssim 1.5$ Ultra Steep Spectrum (USS) radio sources selected from Sydney University Molonglo Sky Survey and NRAO VLA Sky Survey. Galaxies in these USS fields were identified in deep near-IR observations, complete down to $K_s=20$, using {\tt IRIS2} instrument at the AAT telescope. We used the redshift distribution of $K_s<20$ galaxies taken from Cimatti et al. (2002) to constrain the correlation length $r_0$. We find a strong correlation signal of galaxies with $K_s<20$ around our USS sample. A comoving correlation length $r_0=14.0\pm 2.8$ $h^{-1}$ Mpc and $\gamma =1.98\pm 0.15$ are derived in a flat cosmological model Universe. We compare our findings with those obtained in a cosmological N--body simulation populated with GALFORM semi-analytic galaxies. We find that clusters of galaxies with masses in the range $M=10^{13.4-14.2}$ $h^{-1}$ M$_{\sun}$ have a cluster--galaxy cross--correlation amplitude comparable to those found between USS hosts and galaxies. These results suggest that distant radio galaxies are excellent tracers of galaxy overdensities and pinpoint the progenitors of present day rich clusters of galaxies.

Accepted for publication in MNRAS, 5 pages including 3 PostScript figures and 1 table

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