The HAWK-I cluster survey

Abstract

Distant galaxy clusters allow us to study the processes that drive galaxy evolution in the densest environments of the Universe. At these distances, near-IR observations are essential, as the rest frame optical is redshifted into the near-IR. However, with one or two exceptions, there is a distinct lack of high-quality imaging data at these wavelengths. To overcome this limitation, we have obtained a uniform set of deep near-IR images of ten of the most distant galaxy clusters currently known. Among the main goals of the project there are the detailed study of the evolution of the CMR, the scaling relations and merger rates of cluster galaxies between z ∼ 0:8 and z ∼ 1:45. We summarize here the current status of the survey and presents a first look at some of the data. Show more