A CONSTANT CLUSTERING AMPLITUDE FOR FAINT GALAXIES

The angular clustering of faint field galaxies is investigated using d eep imaging (I similar to 25) obtained with the 10 m Keek I telescope. The autocorrelation function is consistent with omega(theta) proporti onal to theta(-0.8), and although less steep correlation functions can not be ruled out with high confidence, we find no compelling evidence for a systematic decrease in the power-law index at the faintest magni tude limits. Results from a number of independent observational studie s are combined in order to investigate the variation of the correlatio n amplitude with median I magnitude. At I-med similar to 23, the resul ts obtained by different studies are all in rough agreement and indica te that for (I-med > 22 the correlation amplitude declines far less st eeply than would be expected from an extrapolation of the trend in the brighter samples. In particular, at I-med similar to 24, our data ind icate omega(theta) to be a factor of similar to 7 higher than the extr apolation. A near independence of magnitude is a general feature of th e correlation amplitude in models in which the redshift distribution o f the faint field population contains a substantial fraction of galaxi es with z greater than or similar to 1. In order to reproduce the appa rent abrupt flattening of the amplitude of omega(theta) observed at fa int limits, approximately 50% of the galaxies in a sample with a depth of I similar to 25 must be at z > 1.