In this paper, we present an analysis of the dynamics and segregation of
galaxies in rich clusters from z~0.32 to z~0.48 taken from the CFHT Optical
PDCS (COP) survey and from the CNOC survey (Carlberg et al. 1997). Our results
from the COP survey are based upon the recent observational work of Adami et
al. (2000) and Holden et al. (2000) and use new spectroscopic and photometric
data on six clusters selected from the Palomar Distant Cluster Survey (PDCS;
Postman et al. 1996). We have compared the COP and CNOC samples to the ESO
Nearby Abell Cluster Survey (ENACS: z~0.07). Our sample shows that the z<0.4
clusters have the same velocity dispersion versus magnitude, morphological type
and radius relationships as nearby Abell clusters. The z~0.48 clusters exhibit,
however, departures from these relations. Furthermore, there appears to be a
higher fraction of late-type (or bluer, e.g. Butcher and Oemler, 1984) galaxies
in the distant clusters compared to the nearby ones. The classical scenario in
which massive galaxies virialize before they evolve from late into early type
explain our observations. In such a scenario, the clusters of our sample began
to form before a redshift of ~0.8 and the late-type galaxy population had a
continuous infall into the clusters.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, accepted in A&
