The Redshift and Real-Space Correlation Functions from the ESP Galaxy Redshift Survey

We discuss the behaviour of the redshift- and real-space correlation functions from the ESO Slice Project (ESP) galaxy redshift survey. xi(s) for the whole survey is positive out to ~80/h Mpc, with a smooth break from a shallow power law. Comparison to xi(s) from two other wide-angle, moderately deep surveys, the LCRS and Stromlo-APM, shows a very good agreement of all data sets, despite the different selections and geometries. By projecting xi(r_p, pi), we recover the real--space correlation function xi(r), which below 10/h Mpc is reasonably well described by a power law xi(r) = (r/r_o)^{-\gamma} with r_o=4.15^{+0.20}_{-0.21} /h Mpc and \gamma=1.67^{+0.07}_{-0.09}. The same analysis, applied to four volume-limited subsamples, evidences a small but significant growth of clustering with luminosity (r_o varies from 3.4 to 5.2/h Mpc when the luminosity threshold is increased from -18. to -20).