Host and companion galaxies in the SDSS

For close pairs with projected separations of 5-20kpc/h, velocity differences less than 500km/s, and luminosity ratios between 1:2 and 2:1, we find good agreement between the observations and simulations, with N_c_ consistently close to 0.02 over the range -22<M_r_<-18.

For larger pair separations, N_c_(M_r_) instead becomes increasingly steep toward the faint end, implying that luminosity-dependent clustering plays an important role on small scales. Using the simulations to assess and correct for projection effects, we infer that the real-space N_c_(M_r_) for close pairs peaks at about M^*^ and declines by at least a factor of 2 as M_r_ becomes fainter. Conversely, by measuring the number density of close companions, we estimate that at least 90% of all major mergers occur between galaxies which are fainter than L^*^.