Galaxy populations in galaxy clusters selected by the Sunyaev-Zeldovich Effect

We present a study of the galaxy populations in massive galaxy
clusters selected by their Sunyaev–Zel’dovich Effect (SZE)
signatures. Selection via the SZE is approximately mass- limited
where the mass limit varies only slightly with redshift, making it
an ideal selection method for studying the evolution of the galaxy
content of clusters. We begin by introducing the SZE, the South
Pole Telescope (SPT), and the larger research project in which this
Thesis is embedded. We then present the core galaxy population
studies of this Thesis. In Chapter 3, we present the first
large-scale follow-up of an SZE-selected galaxy cluster sample. Of
224 galaxy cluster candidates in the sample, we optically confirm
158 clusters and measure their photometric redshifts. We find a
redshift range of 0.1