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 Void

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Types: Universe   ---- Void

Sizes: 2000 Mpc/h ---- 100 Mpc/h

A void is a large region of the Universe where there are far fewer galaxies of a given type than in other parts of the Universe (e.g., in filaments). There are voids of many different sizes, ranging between about 8 Mpc/h and 100 Mpc/h [1]. The largest voids are those defined by the absence of rich galaxy clusters. Those are sometimes called supervoids.

A recent survey of rich galaxy clusters up to about redshift z = 0.2 (distance 300 Mpc/h) lists 27 supervoids, with a median minor diameter of 92 Mpc/h [2]. The supervoids at distances up to 150 Mpc/h, and those with a proper name in the survey, are listed below. "Id" is the identifying number of the supervoid, "Name" the proper name (if any), "Dist" the distance of the center of the supervoid to us, and "Diam" the minor diameter of the supervoid.
Id Name Dist Diam
Mpc/h Mpc/h
1 134 88
5 129 92
9 Southern Local Supervoid 96 112
18 119 102
19 119 108
20 Bootes Void 216 78
21 143 116
24 Northern Local Supervoid 61 104

The supercluster that our galaxy is in, the Local Supercluster, lies on the edges of The Northern and Southern Local Supervoids.

References

  1. "The structure of supervoids. I. Void hierarchy in the Northern Local Supervoid." U. Lindner, J. Einasto, M. Einasto, W. Freudling, K. Fricke, E. Tago; Astron. Astrophys., v.301, p.329 (1995) [ADS 1995A&A...301..329L]
  2. "The structure of the Universe traced by rich clusters of galaxies." M. Einasto, J. Einasto, E. Tago, G. B. Dalton, H Andernach. Mon. Not. R. Astron. Soc. 269, 301 (1994) [ADS 1994MNRAS.269..301E]

[LS 16 April 1997]

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Last modified 16 April 1997