The VLT LBG Redshift Survey - III. The clustering and dynamics of
  Lyman-break galaxies at z ~ 3
  We present a catalogue of 2135 galaxy redshifts from the VLT LBG Redshift
Survey (VLRS), a spectroscopic survey of z ~ 3 galaxies in wide fields centred
on background quasi-stellar objects. We have used deep optical imaging to
select galaxies via the Lyman-break technique. Spectroscopy of the Lyman-break
galaxies (LBGs) was then made using the Visible Multi-Object Spectrograph
(VIMOS), giving a mean redshift of z=2.79. We analyse the clustering properties
of the VLRS sample and also of the VLRS sample combined with the smaller area
Keck-based survey of Steidel et al. From the semiprojected correlation
function, wp({\sigma}) we find that the results are well fit with a single
power-law model, with clustering scale lengths of r0=3.46+-0.41 and 3.83+-0.24
Mpc/h, respectively. We note that the corresponding combined {\xi}(r) slope is
flatter than for local galaxies at {\gamma} = 1.5-1.6 rather than {\gamma}=1.8.
This flat slope is confirmed by the z-space correlation function, {\xi}(s), and
in the range 10<s<100 Mpc/h the VLRS shows ~2.5{\sigma} excess over the
{\Lambda} cold dark matter. This excess may be consistent with recent evidence
for non-Gaussianity in clustering results at z~1. We then analyse the LBG
z-space distortions using the 2D correlation function, {\xi}({\sigma}, {\pi}),
finding for the combined sample a large-scale infall parameter of $\beta$ =
0.38+-0.19 and a velocity dispersion of 420km/s. Based on our measured {\beta},
we are able to determine the gravitational growth rate, finding a value of f(z
= 3)=0.99+-0.50 (or f{\sigma}8 = 0.26+-0.13), which is the highest redshift
measurement of the growth rate via galaxy clustering and is consistent with
{\Lambda}CDM. Finally, we constrain the mean halo mass for the LBG population,
finding that the VLRS and combined sample suggest mean halo masses of
log(MDM/Msun) = 11.57+-0.15 and 11.73+-0.07, respectively.
