@Lin2008; @Lopez-Sanjuan2012; @Robotham2014], in order to use the results of @Kitzbichler2008 to estimate merging timescales for each pair. These field merger timescales can be applied to close pairs in clusters [see section 4.2 of @Lidman2013 for motivation].

We use a compilation of the SDSS spectroscopic galaxy samples of which the BOSS survey supplies the deepest spectroscopy, up to a magnitude limit of 19.9 magnitudes in the $i$-band. We therefore further restrict our close pair sample to only include pairs with galaxies brighter than the BOSS magnitude limit. Our final sample consists of 1016 photometric pairs, of which 320 ($\sim31$ per cent) have spectroscopy. We correct for the spectroscopic incompleteness of our sample when the BCG pair fraction is measured (Section \[sec:fpair\]). To ensure that we are relatively complete for companions to the BOSS magnitude limit, we only consider neighbouring galaxies with a stellar mass ratio within 1:4 of the BCG (see panel b of Fig. \[fig:mag\_lim\_21\_5\]). This maximizes the redshift range over which we are complete. We define all potential merger candidates with stellar mass ratios between 1:1$-$1:4 as major mergers. For illustrative purposes, we show the SDSS cutouts of eight major merger candidates from our close pair sample in 