On a huge scale, the structure of the Universe is a cosmic web - thread-like structures,
Based on a series of simulations, scientistsinvestigated the heterogeneous structure of the universe, viewing the distribution of galaxies as a collection of points - like the individual particles of matter that make up the material - and not as a continuous distribution. They studied over 1,000 simulations, each consisting of a billion "particles" of dark matter. Its clusters, formed as a result of gravitational evolution, serve as the basis for the distribution of galaxies.
Visualization of Sloan Digital Sky Survey results. Animation: Institute for Advanced Study
The study found that on a scale of 10 to100 million light-years of a galaxy gather into a network of threads that meander between voids. The assembly looks like foam from soap bubbles, that is, a disordered environment. At the same time, on a large scale, the Universe becomes homogeneous and isotropic. Such changes in properties with scale are characteristic of colloidal systems: suspensions of particles in a dispersed solution.
The researchers note that the similarities betweenorderliness of the Universe and material systems on Earth opens up opportunities for mutual research. For example, by modeling the behavior of ordered systems, one can study cosmic voids and bubbles of ionized hydrogen that formed during the reionization phase of the Universe. On the contrary, new phenomena discovered in the Universe may also provide insight into various material systems on Earth.
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