THE GALAXY LUMINOSITY FUNCTION FROM OBSERVATIONS OF 20 ABELL CLUSTERS

A luminosity function is constructed from photometric imaging of galax ies in 20 Abell clusters. The LF is well-described on the whole by a S chechter function with M(R) = -21.13 +/- 0.11 + 5 log h alpha = - 1.0 9 +/- 0.08. The value of M is 0.93 +/- 0.20 magnitude brighter than t he value obtained from the recent Las Campanas Redshift Survey (exclud ing systematic errors). The flat faint-end slope is consistent with fi eld surveys and the lack of an upturn at absolute magnitudes brighter than M(R) < -16.5 is similar to behavior in the field and is inconsis tent with previous claims of a steep faint-end slope in clusters. (C) 1997 American Astronomical Society.