Related papers: The Apparent Fractal Conjecture
The fractal dimension of large-scale galaxy clustering has been demonstrated to be roughly $D_F \sim 2$ from a wide range of redshift surveys. If correct, this statistic is of interest for two main reasons: fractal scaling is an implicit…
The clustering of galaxies is well characterized by fractal properties, with the presence of an eventual cross-over to homogeneity still a matter of considerable debate. In this letter we discuss the cosmological implications of a fractal…
This paper reviews selected aspects of the growth of cosmological structure, covering the following general areas: (1) expected characteristics of linear density perturbations according to various candidate theories for the origin of…
Counts of galaxies as a function of apparent magnitude are among the most time-honored observations in cosmology. In this Letter, we focus on some statistical properties of these counts which are fundamental in order to characterize the…
This paper presents a review of the fractal approach for describing the large scale distribution of galaxies. We start by presenting a brief, but general, introduction to fractals, which emphasizes their empirical side and applications…
The last 20 years have seen an explosion in our understanding of the large-scale distribution and motions of galaxies in the nearby universe. The field has moved from a largely qualitative, morphological description of the structures seen…
The power-law dependence of the angle in the angular projection of galaxy distribution is explained by assuming that in the spherical shells within a small angle the distributions are also fractal. If this local angular fractal is…
The distribution of the deformations of elementary cells is studied in an abstract lattice constructed from the existence of the empty set. One combination rule determining oriented sequences with continuity of set-distance function in such…
We examine the fractal structure of the physical universe from the large scale to the smallest scale, including the phenomenon of fractal scaling. This is explained in terms of a stochastic underpinning for the laws of physics. A picture in…
The standard theory of cosmic structure formation posits that the present-day rich structure of the Universe developed through gravitational amplification of tiny matter density fluctuations generated in its very early history. Recent…
Estimates of the fractal dimension $D$ of the set of galaxies in the universe, based on ever improving data sets, tend to settle on $D\approx 2$. This result raised a raging debate due to its glaring contradiction with astrophysical models…
This article reviews the prevailing paradigm for how galaxies and larger structures formed in the universe: gravitational instability. Basic observational facts are summarized to motivate the standard cosmological framework underlying most…
While the universe becomes more and more homogeneous at large scales, statistical analysis of galaxy catalogs have revealed a fractal structure at small-scales (\lambda < 100 h^{-1} Mpc), with a fractal dimension D=1.5-2 (Sylos Labini et al…
Cosmic structures at large scales represent the earliest and most extended form of matter condensation. In this lecture we review the application of the methods and concepts of modern statistical physics to these structures. This leads to a…
The large scale distribution of galaxies in the universe displays a complex pattern of clusters, super-clusters, filaments and voids with sizes limited only by the boundaries of the available samples. A quantitative statistical…
I critically discuss in a pedagogical and phenomenological way a few crucial tests challenging the claims by Pietronero and collaborators that there is no evidence from available galaxy catalogues that the Universe is actually homogeneous…
The question of the nature of galaxy clustering and the possible homogeneity of galaxy distribution is one of the fundamental problem of cosmology. It is well established that galaxy structures are characterized, up to a certain scale, by…
I review the standard paradigm for understanding the formation and evolution of cosmic structure, based on the gravitational instability of dark matter, but many variations on this basic theme are viable. Despite the great progress that has…
The conjecture that dark matter in galaxies is mostly cold fractal gas is developed in the more general context of the thermodynamics of the ideal isothermal gas subject to gravitational instability. This simple gas model already contains…
The distribution of visible matter in the universe, such as galaxies and galaxy clusters, has its origin in the week fluctuations of density that existed at the epoch of recombination. The hierarchical distribution of the universe, with its…