Clustering ofK‐selected Galaxies at 2 <z< 3.5: Evidence for a Color‐Density Relation

We study the clustering properties of K-selected galaxies at 22.3 distant red galaxies (DRGs) have r_0 ~ 11 h^-1 Mpc. Contrary tofindings for optically-selected galaxies, K-selected galaxies that are faint inthe R-band cluster more strongly than brighter galaxies. These results suggestthat a color-density relation was in place at z>2. Our results indicate thatK-bright blue galaxies and K-bright red galaxies are fundamentally different,as they have different clustering properties. Using a simple model of onegalaxy per halo, we infer halo masses ~ 5 x 10^12 M_sun for K<21 galaxies and ~2 x 10^13 M_sun for DRGs. A comparison of the observed space density of DRGs tothe density of their host halos suggests large halo occupation numbers;however, this result is at odds with the lack of a strong small-scale excess inthe angular correlation function. We find that the z=0 descendants of thegalaxies considered here reside primarily in groups and clusters. [abridged]Comment: 17 pages in emulateapj style, 14 figures. Resubmitted to ApJ after referee's report; minor clarifications and revisions. Update: accepted by Ap