Inhomogeneities in the universe

DOI10.1088/0264-9381/28/16/164003zbMATH Open1225.83099arXiv1103.5974OpenAlexW3099675712MaRDI QIDQ3173060FDOQ3173060

Authors: Francesco Sylos Labini 

Publication date: 10 October 2011

Published in: Classical and Quantum Gravity (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Standard models of galaxy formation predict that matter distribution is statistically homogeneous and isotropic and characterized by (i) spatial homogeneity for r<10 Mpc/h, (ii) small-amplitude structures of relatively limited size (i.e., r<100) Mpc/h and (iii) anti-correlations for r > r_c ~ 150 Mpc/h (i.e., no structures of size larger than r_c). Whether or not the observed galaxy distribution is interpreted to be compatible with these predictions depend on the a-priori assumptions encoded in the statistical methods employed to characterize the data and on the a-posteriori hypotheses made to interpret the results. We present strategies to test the most common assumptions and we find evidences that, in the available samples, galaxy distribution is spatially inhomogeneous for r<100 Mpc/h but statistically homogeneous and isotropic. We conclude that the observed inhomogeneities pose a fundamental challenge to the standard picture of cosmology but they also represent an important opportunity which may open new directions for many cosmological puzzles.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1103.5974

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Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Statistical astronomy (85A35) Macroscopic interaction of the gravitational field with matter (hydrodynamics, etc.) (83C55) Relativistic cosmology (83F05) Astrophysical cosmology (85A40) Galactic and stellar structure (85A15)

Cited In (12)

• Luminous Matter Distribution, Bulk Flows and Baryon Content in Cosmological Models with a Local Void
• Inhomogeneity and the foundations of concordance cosmology
• Evaluating backreaction with the ellipsoidal collapse model
• Perfect fluids coupled to inhomogeneities in the late universe
• The effect of universe inhomogeneities on cosmological distance measurements
• Is the universe homogeneous?
• Fractal universe and cosmic acceleration in a Lemaître–Tolman–Bondi scenario
• Can our Universe be inhomogeneous on large sub-horizon scales?
• Spatial and observational homogeneities of the galaxy distribution in standard cosmologies
• Cosmological homogeneity scale estimates are dressed
• Hubble law: measure and interpretation
• Dynamical equilibrium states of a class of irrotational non-orthogonally transitive G ₂ cosmologies I: The conjecture of chaotic cosmological inhomogeneity

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