Astrophysics (Index)About

large scale structure

(LSS, large scale structure of the universe, cosmic web, structure of the universe)
(the universe's structure as in placement of clusters)

The large scale structure of the universe, also known as the cosmic web, is the overall placement of mass in the volume of the universe. Clusters are within superclusters, in turn, in surfaces (sheets, walls) and strings (galaxy filaments) separated by large voids.

A picture of the general structure began with the 1989 discovery of the Great Wall, a sheet of galaxies, part of growing evidence that galaxy clusters are not evenly distributed. Currently, cosmological simulations aim to produce a structure similar to that observed, i.e., show a similar large scale structure. Presumed factors include entropy, pressure, density, and gravitational potential.

Mapping of distant galaxies reveal aspects of the large scale structure, as do various kinds of intensity mapping, studies of Lyman-alpha forests, and studies of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), e.g., of the Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect


The term large scale structure is also frequently used to refer to one of these large elements, e.g., to a supercluster or galaxy filament.


(cosmology)
Further reading:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Large-scale_structure_of_the_universe
https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/l/Large-scale+Structure
http://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Sept01/Jones/frames.html
http://ned.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/March12/Coil/Coil1.html
https://universe.nasa.gov/galaxies/large-scale-structures/

Referenced by pages:
CfA Redshift Survey
CMB surveys
Cosmic Evolution Survey (COSMOS)
cosmic variance
cosmic web
cosmological principle
cosmological simulation
filament
GADGET-2
Giant GRB Ring
giant planet formation
gravitational instability model
Great Wall
Hale Telescope
halo model
HIRAX
Huge-LQG
inflation
initial fluctuation spectrum
initial fluctuations
intensity mapping (IM)
large quasar group (LQG)
Las Campanas Redshift Survey (LCRS)
Lyman-alpha forest
Pisces-Cetus Supercluster Complex
Press-Schechter formalism
RAMSES
Sculptor Wall
Sloan Great Wall (SGW)
SPHEREx
structure formation
TolTEC
void
XMM-Newton
Zel'dovich approximation

Index