Voids and the Cosmic Web: cosmic depressions & spatial complexity

Understand

Voids form a prominent aspect of the Megaparsec distribution of galaxies and matter.

• Not only do they represent a key constituent of the Cosmic Web, they also are one of the cleanest probes and measures of global cosmological parameters.
• The shape and evolution of voids are highly sensitive to the nature of dark energy, while their substructure and galaxy population provides a direct key to the nature of dark matter.
• Also, the pristine environment of void interiors is an important testing ground for our understanding of environmental influences on galaxy formation and evolution.