REDSHIFT-SPACE DISTORTIONS OF THE CORRELATION-FUNCTION IN WIDE-ANGLE GALAXY SURVEYS

Using a novel two-dimensional coordinate system, we have derived a par ticularly simple way to express the redshift distortions in galaxy red shift surveys with arbitrary geometry in closed form. This method prov ides an almost ideal way to measure the value of beta = Ohm(0)(0.6)/b in wide area surveys, since all pairs in the survey can be used for th e analysis. In the limit of small angles, this result straightforwardl y reduces to the plane-parallel approximation. This expansion can also be used together with more sophisticated methods such as the calculat ion of Karhunen-Loeve eigenvectors in redshift space for an arbitrary survey geometry. Therefore, these results should provide more precise methods in which to measure the large-scale power spectrum and the val ue of beta simultaneously.