Does the galaxy correlation length increase with the sample depth?

Author(s): Martinez, VJ; Lopez-Marti, B; Pons-Borderia, MJ

Source: ASTROPHYSICAL JOURNAL  Volume: 554   Issue: 1   Pages: L5-L8   DOI: 10.1086/320910   Part: 2   Published: JUN 10 2001

We have analyzed the behavior of the correlation length r(0) as a function of the sample depth by extracting from the CfA2 redshift survey volume-limited samples out to increasing distances. For a fractal distribution, the value of r(0) would increase with the volume occupied by the sample. We find no linear increase for the CfA2 samples of the sort that would be expected if the universe preserved its small-scale fractal character out to the distances considered (60-100 h(-1) Mpc). The results instead show a roughly constant value for r(0) as a function of the size of the sample, with small fluctuations due to local inhomogeneities and luminosity segregation. Thus, the fractal picture can safely be discarded.