On the fractal structure of galaxy distribution and its implications for cosmology

Abstract

Two fundamental empirical laws have been established in the analysis of galaxy space distribution. First, recent analyses have revealed that the three dimensional distribution of galaxies and clusters is characterized by large scale structures and huge voids: such a distribution shows fractal correlations up to the limits of the available samples. This has confirmed the earlier de Vaucouleurs power-law density - distance relation, now corresponding to a fractal structure with dimension $D\approx 2$, at least, in the range of scales $\sim 1÷200Mpc$ ($H_0=55km/sec/Mpc$). An eventual cut-off towards homogenization has not been yet identified. Second, since Hubble's discovery, the linear redshift-distance law has been well established within $200Mpc$ and also much deeper. The co-existence of these laws within the same scales is a challenge for the standard cosmology where the linear Hubble law is a strict consequence of homogeneity of the expanding universe. This puzzle is now sufficiently strong to raise doubts for the standard cosmology.

arXiv comment25 pages, latex, 4 figures, also available at http://www.phys.uniroma1.it/DOCS/PIL/pil.html Accepted for publication in "Fractals"

References in corpus (4)

• Scale-invariance of galaxy clustering
• The Local Group as a test of cosmological models
• Self-gravity as an explanation of the fractal structure of the interstellar medium
• Is the Universe Homogeneous? (On Large Scales)

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• Einstein's Geometrical Versus Feynman's Quantum-Field Approaches to Gravity Physics: Testing by Modern Multimessenger Astronomy
• Fractal structures and the large scale distribution of galaxies