Groups and Clusters in the Near-Infrared

Massive multicolor digital surveys in the near infrared provide new opportunities for statistical analyses of the properties of groups and clusters. These galaxy systems provide a natural laboratory for studying dynamical processes and galaxy evolution, and serve as powerful cosmological diagnostics. The immediate scientific returns to be expected from near-infrared surveys such as DENIS and 2MASS are presented, and illustrated with simulated images of a Coma-like rich cluster.