Galaxy voids in cold dark matter universes

Abstract

We present predictions for numerous statistics related to the presence of voids in the distribution of galaxies in a cold dark matter model of structure formation using a semi-analytic model of galaxy formation. Our study is able to probe galaxies with masses as low as 10 9 h −1 M corresponding to absolute magnitudes of M b J − 5 log h = −18.1 and M r − 5 log h = −18.7. We quantify the void and underdense probability functions, distributions of nearest-neighbour distances and void sizes and compute the density profiles of voids. These results are contrasted with the expectations for dark matter (and the difference examined in terms of the galaxy/dark matter biasing relation) and are compared with analytic predictions and observational data where available. The predicted void probability functions are consistent with those measured from the Centre for Astrophysics redshift surveys given the rather large uncertainties in this relatively small (for studies of voids) observational sample. The size of the observational sample is too small to probe the bias between galaxies and dark matter that we predict. We also examine the predicted properties of galaxies existing within voids and contrast these with the general galaxy population. Our predictions are aimed at forthcoming large galaxy redshift surveys that should for the first time provide statistically accurate measures of the void population.

Mapping the cosmic web with the Sloan Digital Sky Survey

“…These trends are generally consistent with predictions of semi-analytic modelling of galaxy formation (Benson et al 2003).…”

Cosmic Voids: Structure, Dynamics and Galaxies

“…4 However, Ref. 46 showed that these effects would not explain the distribution of dwarf galaxies in voids.…”

Merging tree algorithm of growing voids in self-similar and CDM models

“…Observations (Plionis & Basilakos 2002;Hoyle & Vogeley 2002Tully et al 2008;Tikhonov & Karachentsev 2006;Kraan-Korteweg et al 2008;Pan et al 2012;Sutter et al 2012) and N -body simulations (Regos & Geller 1991;van de Weygaert & van Kampen 1993;Dubinski et al 1993;Benson et al 2003;Gottlöber et al 2003;Colberg et al 2005;Tinker & Conroy 2009;Aragon-Calvo & Szalay 2013;Bos et al 2012;Ricciardelli et al 2013) show that voids can have sizes in the range 5 − 135h −1 M pc. There are voids that possess sizes smaller than this range; on the basis of the Catalog of Neighbouring Galaxies (Karachentsev et al 2004), Tikhonov & Karachentsev (2006) found 30 minivoids with a range of sizes, 0.7 − 3.5h −1 M pc.…”