.:Analysis:.

--Environmental Factors--

-Merging Galaxies-

Using the EDisCS survey, data on which of the galaxies in the cluster presented irregularities was analyzed along with the HST imaging data to determine which galaxies could possibly be merger galaxies. Once identified, the SFRs of the merger galaxies were averaged to compare to the average SFR of the cluster. Also, attention was paid to the correlation between merger activity in certain radii or density shells. Additionally, the merger SFRs were compared to other non-merger galaxies of the same HST morphological type.

            In all three clusters, merging galaxies had no apparent difference in SFR form normal, non-merging galaxies. However, there were a few cases of high SFR merging galaxies having SFRs of over 150 solar masses per year. These were inferred to be starburst galaxies. When two galaxies collide, sometimes their gas collapses into a small volume and begins to produce stars very quickly, and is dubbed a starburst galaxy. These galaxies skewed the data in the density and morphology studies, and were therefore removed.