TFNR - Cosmic megastructures
Cosmic megastructures are the largest known formations in the Universe, spanning billions of light-years and shaping the large-scale structure of the cosmos. These immense structures are composed of galaxies, galaxy clusters, and Dark Matter and Dark Energy, forming a vast cosmic web of voids, filaments, nodes, clusters, etc.
The deeper our technological eyes penetrate into the darkness of the Universe, the more diverse and larger and more complex megastructures we discover. The cosmological principle falters, uniformity, homogeneity seem to require more and more Space to manifest themselves, and with it Time, the supposed age of the Universe predicted by the Big Bang model, which seems less and less sufficient to justify what we observe.
Cosmic megastructures can be classified based on their scale, composition, and formation processes. Here’s a structured classification:
- Galactic Megastructures
- Galaxy Groups: small collections of galaxies bound by gravity
- Galaxy Clusters: structures consisting of hundreds or even thousands galaxies bound together by gravity in turbulent giant Dark Matter / Dark Energy Halo that also contains vast amounts of hot gas
- Superclusters: massive groupings of galaxy clusters
- Large-Scale Cosmic Structures
- Voids: enormous empty regions between filaments, with very few galaxies
- The Cosmic Web: the large-scale structure of the Universe, consisting of interconnected filaments of galaxies, gas, stretching across billions of light-years
- Cosmic Filaments: the largest known structures, consisting of walls of galactic superclusters stretching across billions of light-years
- Cosmic Nodes: dense regions in the cosmic web where multiple filaments intersect. They are among the most massive and evolved regions in the Universe, often containing galaxy clusters
- Galactic Walls: vast sheets of galaxies
- Extreme Megastructures
- Giant Voids or Supervoids: exceptionally large voids
- Large Quasar Groups (LQGs): massive quasar formations
- Gamma-Ray Burst Structures: enormous formations detected via gamma-ray bursts
These structures define the Universe’s large-scale organization, influencing cosmic evolution and matter distribution
As mentioned in the previous section, Dark Matter Halos are not "invisible structures surrounding galaxies", but "structural components" of the galaxies themselves, which influence their formation and movement. We confuse the visible part of the galaxy with the galaxy in its entirety, which instead is formed by an invisible structure, a Dark Halo, made of Dark Matter (the internal bubble characterized by negative Mass, negative Perturbation value, lower than average Time flow rate), and Dark Energy (the external shell, but still part of the Dark Halo, characterized by positive Mass, positive Perturbation value, higher than average Time flow rate). The Dark Halo, thus composed, together with the galactic structures formed by Ordinary (visible) Matter "is the galaxy".
The same thing is true for cosmic structures that aggregate galaxies in gravitational systems, the "clusters of galaxies", which, due to their formation and internal and external dynamics, acquire an individual character and in turn become the building blocks that compose even larger and more complex structures, such as superclusters, and also the filaments and nodes that make up the Cosmic Web.
Let's now look in more detail at two of the most important types of cosmic megastructures, which define the large-scale (obviously turbulent) organization of the Universe, shaping its evolution. I am obviously talking about the Voids and the Cosmic Web, complementary elements that together fill the entire cosmos.
Voids and Giant Voids
Voids are a fundamental part of the Dark Cosmic Web, the Dark (invisible) Matter / Energy component of the universal (dark and visible) Cosmic Web.
The largest of these are giant voids, spanning hundreds of millions of light-years. One notable example is the Boötes Void, which is nearly 330 million light-years wide and contains very few galaxies. These voids play a crucial role in understanding the large-scale structure of the universe. They help astrophysicists study dark matter, cosmic expansion, and galaxy formation. Despite their emptiness, voids influence the movement of matter, shaping the cosmic web. Exploring them reveals clues about the early universe and how structures evolved. They remind us of the universe's intricate balance between vast emptiness and clustered existence. The more we study them, the more mysteries emerge.
Cosmic voids are vast, empty spaces in the universe where galaxies are scarce or absent. Cosmic voids are immense regions in the universe with very few galaxies.
Formation
They form due to gravitational forces pulling matter into denser regions, leaving behind immense gaps. They form as gravity pulls matter into dense clusters, leaving behind vast empty spaces.
The largest of these are giant voids, spanning hundreds of millions of light-years. The largest of these, known as giant voids, can stretch across hundreds of millions of light-years.
A famous example is the Boötes Void, an enormous expanse about 330 million light-years wide, containing only a handful of galaxies.
Studying these voids helps scientists understand cosmic expansion, dark matter, and galaxy formation.
Despite their emptiness, they shape the universe’s structure by influencing the motion of surrounding matter. They offer clues about the early universe and how different regions evolved over time. These vast gaps highlight the delicate balance between cosmic emptiness and dense galaxy clusters. Exploring them deepens our knowledge of the universe and raises new questions about its development.
-> INSERT IMAGE: COSMIC WEB STRUCTURE FOCUSED ON VOIDS AND GIANT VOIDS
Cosmic Web
-> INSERT IMAGE: COSMIC WEB STRUCTURE FOCUSED ON FILAMENTS AND NODES
Links to the tables of contents of TFNR Paper
