Abstract

The two-point angular correlation function of galaxies, ?(?), has been computed on equatorial fields observed with the Cerro Telolo Inter-American Observatory 4 m prime focus, within a total area of 2.31 deg 2. In the magnitude range 19 ? m R ? 21.5, corresponding to ?z? ?0.35, we find an excess of power in ?(?) at scales 2? ? ? ? 6? over what would be expected from an extrapolation of ?(?) measured at larger ?. The significance of this excess is ?5 ?. At larger scales, 6? < ? ? 24?, the amplitude of ?(?) is 1.6 times smaller than the standard nonevolutionary model. At these scales there is remarkable agreement between the present data and Infante & Pritchet (1995). At large angular scales (6? < ? ? 24?) the data are best described by a model where clustering evolution in ?(r, z) has taken place. Strong luminosity evolution cannot be ruled out with the present data. At smaller scales, 2? < ? ? 6?, our data are formally fitted by models where ? = -2.4(? = 0.2, r 0 = 5.1 h -1 Mpc) or r 0 = 7.3 h -1 Mpc (? = 0.2, ? = 0). If the mean redshift of our sample is 0.35, then our data show a clear detection of the scale (?19 h -1 kpc) where the clustering evolution approaches a highly nonlinear regime, i.e., ? ? 0. The rate at which galaxies merge has been computed. If this rate is proportional to (1 + z) m, then m = 2.2 ± 0.5. © 1996. The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.