Abstract
An observational study of the clustering of faint galaxies in the
magnitude range 19.5< mj <22.0 is undertaken. High quality plate
material from the United Kingdom Schmidt Telescope, and automated
machine measures from the COSMOS facility at the Royal Observatory
Edinburgh constitute the primary data. Particular attention is paid to
quantifying the amplitude and nature of random, and systematic errors
associated with the plate material and the measuring process. The
details of calibration procedures and properties of the COSMOS scanning
spot are found to be particularly important for a full understanding of
the measurement process. New information concerning the success of
automated image classification techniques is obtained, through the use
of very deep plate material from the Anglo- Australian Telescope to
"calibrate" the wide field plate material used in the investigation.
Automated image classification using COSMOS parameters is found to be
considerably less successful than previously claimed. Consideration of
the methods used to estimate the covariance function from galaxy samples
shows that some discrepancies between earlier work on the Zwicky and
Lick catalogues, and more recent, deep machine measured samples are due
to different estimation procedures, and not the data themselves.
Data from five high galactic latitude fields in the south, subtending a total area of more than 100 square degrees, allows precise limits to be
placed on the amplitude of spurious galaxy clustering due to small scale
extinction fluctuations within the galaxy. Upper limits to the amplitude
of extinction fluctuations are derived from the form of the stellar
covariance function and the cross -correlation between the stellar, and
deep galaxy samples. The observations are compared to a number of
extinction models, and it is concluded that mean values of absorbtion at
2
the poles of A <0.1 magnitudes are favoured.
