On the Formation of Small Groups of Galaxies at High Redshifts

Abstract

AbstractCosmological many-body clustering agrees with the spatial and velocity distribution functions of galaxies at low redshifts, and it can be extended to high redshifts z ≈ 3 or more. The high redshift distribution functions are predicted to have a particular form. In the simplest case, there are no free parameters in this prediction, but the degree of clustering depends sensitively on Ω0. Current observations of small groups at high redshifts suggest that Ω0 = 0.3 ± 0.2 for Einstein-Friedmann cosmologies.