galaxy filament
{{Short description|Largest structures in the universe, made of galaxies}}
File:Large-scale structure of light distribution in the universe.jpg
{{Physical cosmology|expanded=comp/struct}}
In cosmology, galaxy filaments are the largest known structures in the universe, consisting of walls of galactic superclusters. These massive, thread-like formations can commonly reach 50 to 80 megaparsecs ({{convert|50|to|80|Mpc|Mly|disp=out|abbr=off}})—with the largest found to date being the Hercules-Corona Borealis Great Wall at around {{convert|3|Gpc|Gly}} in length—and form the boundaries between voids.{{cite journal | last1 = Bharadwaj | first1 = Somnath | author-link = Somnath Bharadwaj | last2 = Bhavsar | first2 = Suketu | last3 = Sheth | first3 = Jatush V | date = 2004 | title = The Size of the Longest Filaments in the Universe | journal = Astrophys J | volume = 606 | issue = 1| pages = 25–31 | doi=10.1086/382140|arxiv = astro-ph/0311342 |bibcode = 2004ApJ...606...25B | s2cid = 10473973 }} Due to the accelerating expansion of the universe, the individual clusters of gravitationally bound galaxies that make up galaxy filaments are moving away from each other at an accelerated rate; in the far future they will dissolve.{{Cite web |last=Siegel |first=Ethan |title=Our Home Supercluster, Laniakea, Is Dissolving Before Our Eyes |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2020/02/04/our-home-supercluster-laniakea-is-dissolving-before-our-eyes/ |access-date=2023-11-13 |website=Forbes |language=en}}
Galaxy filaments form the cosmic web and define the overall structure of the observable universe.{{Cite web |title=Cosmic Web |url=https://universe.nasa.gov/resources/89/cosmic-web |access-date=2023-06-06 |website=NASA Universe Exploration |language=en |archive-date=2023-03-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230327065720/https://universe.nasa.gov/resources/89/cosmic-web/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite journal |last1=Komberg |first1=B. V. |last2=Kravtsov |first2=A. V. |last3=Lukash |first3=V. N. |date=October 1996 |title=The search for and investigation of large quasar groups |journal=Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society |language=en |volume=282 |issue=3 |pages=713–722 |arxiv=astro-ph/9602090 |bibcode=1996MNRAS.282..713K |doi=10.1093/mnras/282.3.713 |doi-access=free |issn=0035-8711}}{{Cite journal |last=Clowes |first=R. G. |date=2001 |title=Large Quasar Groups - A Short Review. |journal=Astronomical Society of the Pacific |volume=232 |pages=108 |bibcode=2001ASPC..232..108C |isbn=1-58381-065-X}}
Discovery
Discovery of structures larger than superclusters began in the late 1980s. In 1987, astronomer R. Brent Tully of the University of Hawaii's Institute of Astronomy identified what he called the Pisces–Cetus Supercluster Complex. The CfA2 Great Wall was discovered in 1989,{{Cite journal |url=http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/246/4932/897 |title=M. J. Geller & J. P. Huchra, Science 246, 897 (1989). |journal=Science |date=17 November 1989 |volume=246 |issue=4932 |pages=897–903 |doi=10.1126/science.246.4932.897 |access-date=2009-09-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080621082540/http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/abstract/246/4932/897 |archive-date=2008-06-21 |url-status=live |last1=Huchra |first1=John P. |last2=Geller |first2=Margaret J. |pmid=17812575 |s2cid=31328798 |url-access=subscription }} followed by the Sloan Great Wall in 2003.Sky and Telescope, [http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/3308301.html?page=1&c=y "Refining the Cosmic Recipe"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309153138/http://www.skyandtelescope.com/news/3308301.html?page=1&c=y |date=2012-03-09 }}, 14 November 2003
In January 2013, researchers led by Roger Clowes of the University of Central Lancashire announced the discovery of a large quasar group, the Huge-LQG, which dwarfs previously discovered galaxy filaments in size.{{cite web | last = Wall | first = Mike | url = https://www.foxnews.com/science/largest-structure-in-universe-discovered/ | title = Largest structure in universe discovered | date = 2013-01-11 | publisher = Fox News | access-date = 2013-01-12 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20130112015836/http://www.foxnews.com/science/2013/01/11/largest-structure-in-universe-discovered/ | archive-date = 2013-01-12 | url-status = live }} In November 2013, using gamma-ray bursts as reference points, astronomers discovered the Hercules–Corona Borealis Great Wall, an extremely large filament measuring more than 10 billion light-years across.{{cite journal | arxiv=1401.0533 | bibcode=2014A&A...561L..12H | title=Possible structure in the GRB sky distribution at redshift two | last1=Horvath | first1=Istvan | last2=Hakkila | first2=Jon | last3=Bagoly | first3=Zsolt | journal=Astronomy & Astrophysics | date=2014 | volume=561 | pages=id.L12 | doi=10.1051/0004-6361/201323020 | s2cid=24224684 }}{{cite journal|last1 = Horvath |first1=I. |title = The largest structure of the Universe, defined by Gamma-Ray Bursts|journal =7th Huntsville Gamma-Ray Burst Symposium, GRB 2013: Paper 33 in EConf Proceedings C1304143 |volume = 1311|pages = 1104|date = 2013|arxiv=1311.1104|bibcode = 2013arXiv1311.1104H|last2 = Hakkila|first2 = J.|last3 = Bagoly|first3 = Z.}}{{cite web | last = Klotz | first = Irene | url = https://www.space.com/23754-universe-largest-structure-cosmic-conundrum.html | title = Universe's Largest Structure is a Cosmic Conundrum | date = 2013-11-19 | publisher = discovery | access-date = 2013-11-22 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131130010953/http://www.space.com/23754-universe-largest-structure-cosmic-conundrum.html | archive-date = 2013-11-30 | url-status = live }}
Filaments
The filament subtype of filaments have roughly similar major and minor axes in cross-section, along the lengthwise axis.
- A short filament was proposed by Adi Zitrin and Noah Brosch—detected by identifying an alignment of star-forming galaxies—in the neighborhood of the Milky Way and the Local Group.{{cite journal | last1 = Zitrin | first1 = A. | last2 = Brosch | first2 = N. | year = 2008 | title = The NGC 672 and 784 galaxy groups: evidence for galaxy formation and growth along a nearby dark matter filament | journal = Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society | volume = 390 | issue = 1| pages = 408–420 | doi=10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13786.x | doi-access = free | bibcode=2008MNRAS.390..408Z|arxiv = 0808.1789 | s2cid = 16296617 }} The proposal of this filament, and of a similar but shorter filament, were the result of a study by McQuinn et al. (2014) based on distance measurements using the TRGB method.{{cite journal | last1 = McQuinn | first1 = K.B.W. |display-authors=etal | year = 2014 | title = Distance Determinations to SHIELD Galaxies from Hubble Space Telescope Imaging | journal = The Astrophysical Journal | volume = 785 | issue = 1| page = 3 | doi=10.1088/0004-637x/785/1/3 | bibcode=2014ApJ...785....3M|arxiv = 1402.3723 | s2cid = 118465292 }}
=Galaxy walls=
The galaxy wall subtype of filaments have a significantly greater major axis than minor axis in cross-section, along the lengthwise axis.
- A "Centaurus Great Wall" (or "Fornax Great Wall" or "Virgo Great Wall") has been proposed, which would include the Fornax Wall as a portion of it (visually created by the Zone of Avoidance) along with the Centaurus Supercluster and the Virgo Supercluster, also known as the Local Supercluster, within which the Milky Way galaxy is located (implying this to be the Local Great Wall).
- A wall was proposed to be the physical embodiment of the Great Attractor, with the Norma Cluster as part of it. It is sometimes referred to as the Great Attractor Wall or Norma Wall.World Science, [http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/exclusives-nfrm/060419_attractor.htm Wall of galaxies tugs on ours, astronomers find] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028183148/http://www.world-science.net/exclusives/exclusives-nfrm/060419_attractor.htm |date=2007-10-28 }} April 19, 2006 This suggestion was superseded by the proposal of a supercluster, Laniakea, that would encompass the Great Attractor, Virgo Supercluster, Hydra–Centaurus Superclusters.{{cite journal |title= The Laniakea supercluster of galaxies |date= 2 September 2014 |publication-date= 4 September 2014 |journal= Nature |volume= 513 |issue= 7516 |pages= 71–73 |bibcode= 2014Natur.513...71T |arxiv= 1409.0880 |doi= 10.1038/nature13674 |last1=Tully |first1=R. Brent |last2= Courtois |first2=Hélène |last3= Hoffman |first3=Yehuda |last4= Pomarède |first4=Daniel |pmid=25186900|s2cid= 205240232 }}
- A wall was proposed in 2000 to lie at z=1.47 in the vicinity of radio galaxy B3 0003+387.{{Cite journal |last1=Thompson |first1=D. |last2=Aftreth |first2=O. |last3=Soifer |first3=B. T. |date=November 2000 |title=B3 0003+387: AGN-Marked Large-Scale Structure at Redshift 1.47? |journal=The Astronomical Journal |volume=120 |issue=5 |pages=2331–2337 |bibcode=2000AJ....120.2331T |doi=10.1086/316827|arxiv=astro-ph/0008030 }}
- A wall was proposed in 2000 to lie at z=0.559 in the northern Hubble Deep Field (HDF North).FermiLab, [http://arquivo.pt/wayback/20160523180805/http://www.spaceref.ca/news/viewpr.html?pid=634 "Astronomers Find Wall of Galaxies Traversing the Hubble Deep Field"], DARPA, Monday, January 24, 2000{{cite journal | doi = 10.1086/301404 | bibcode=2000AJ....119.2571V | volume=119 | issue=6 | title=QSO[CLC]s[/CLC] and Absorption-Line Systems surrounding the Hubble Deep Field | journal=The Astronomical Journal | pages=2571–2582|arxiv = astro-ph/0003203 | year=2000 | last1=Vanden Berk | first1=Daniel E. | last2=Stoughton | first2=Chris | last3=Crotts | first3=Arlin P. S. | last4=Tytler | first4=David | last5=Kirkman | first5=David | s2cid=117882449 }}
==Map of nearest galaxy walls==
=Large Quasar Groups=
Large quasar groups (LQGs) are some of the largest structures known. They are theorized to be protohyperclusters/proto-supercluster-complexes/galaxy filament precursors.
=Supercluster complex=
Maps of large-scale distribution
File:Superclusters atlasoftheuniverse.gif|The universe within 1 billion light-years (307 Mpc) of Earth, showing local superclusters forming filaments and voids
File:Nearsc.gif|Map of nearest walls, voids and superclusters
File:2dfdtfe.gif|2dF survey map, containing the SDSS Great Wall
File:2MASS LSS chart-NEW Nasa.jpg|2MASS XSC infrared sky map
File:MeerKAT Galactic filaments.jpg|A mosaic MeerKAT image of the Galactic Center at 20 cm with a 4'' resolution.{{cite journal |last1=Yusef-Zadeh |first1=F. |last2=Arendt |first2=R. G. |last3=Wardle |first3=M. |last4=Heywood |first4=I. |title=The Population of the Galactic Center Filaments: Position Angle Distribution Reveals a Degree-scale Collimated Outflow from Sgr A* along the Galactic Plane |journal=The Astrophysical Journal Letters |date=1 June 2023 |volume=949 |issue=2 |pages=L31 |doi=10.3847/2041-8213/acd54b |arxiv=2306.01071 |bibcode=2023ApJ...949L..31Y |s2cid=259046030 |issn=2041-8205 |doi-access=free }}
See also
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
- List of largest cosmic structures
- Galaxy
- Galaxy cluster
- Galaxy supercluster
- Illustris project
- Large-scale structure
- List of galaxies
- List of galaxy groups and clusters
- Void (astronomy)
- Infrared cirrus
{{div col end}}
References
{{Reflist|30em}}
Further reading
- {{Cite journal |last=Pimbblet |first=Kevin A. |date=2005 |title=Pulling Out Threads from the Cosmic Tapestry: Defining Filaments of Galaxies |journal=Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia |language=en |volume=22 |issue=2 |pages=136–143 |arxiv=astro-ph/0503286 |doi=10.1071/AS05006 |bibcode=2005PASA...22..136P |issn=1323-3580}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20070305202144/http://pil.phys.uniroma1.it/twiki/bin/view/Pil/GalaxyStructures Pictures of the filamentary network]
- [http://www.atlasoftheuniverse.com/superc.html The Universe Within One Billion Light Years with List of Nearby Superclusters (from the Atlas of the Universe):]
{{Galaxy}}
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