THE DEPENDENCE OF GALAXY CLUSTERING ON LUMINOSITY

We present statistical results of a two-point galaxy-galaxy cross-corr elation function analysis. These studies use appropriate cuts in redsh ift and limiting apparent magnitude in the two catalogs explored and p rovide useful information about the dependence of galaxy luminosity on local density. We estimate projected two-point cross-correlation func tions w(r(p)) for samples of center galaxies taken from the Las Campan as Redshift Survey with different mean luminosities against Edinburgh/ Durham Southern Catalogue L greater than or similar to L galaxies. Po wer-law best fits for w(r(p)) with center galaxies L > L and L < L* g ive spatial cross-correlation functions with parameters r(0) similar o r equal to 5.5 +/- 0.2 h(-1) Mpc, gamma similar or equal to 1.8 +/- 0. 2 and r(0) similar or equal to 3.5 +/- 0.6 h(-1) Mpc, gamma -2.2 +/- 0 .2, respectively. Possible differences among results of studies of clu stering dependence on luminosity reported in previous works might be d ominated by systematics because of sample selection effects. Our analy ses indicate that the statistical properties of the large-scale distri bution of galaxies depend on intrinsic luminosity, arguing against a u niversal value of the correlation length. Our results suggest a contin uous clustering dependence on absolute magnitude, giving support to pr evious indications that a smaller biasing factor corresponds to low-lu minosity galaxies.