Structure Formation

The gravitational growth of tiny early density variations into the galaxies, clusters, and cosmic web we see today.

Under the ΛCDM model, dark matter first collapses into halos that pull in ordinary matter, building galaxies from the bottom up and assembling them into clusters and the vast filamentary cosmic web. Simulations reproduce the observed large-scale structure with striking fidelity.

• Galaxy surveys (SDSS, DES) match the predicted large-scale clustering
• Cosmological simulations reproduce the cosmic web

• Required byCosmic Dawn & the First Stars
• Depends onDark Matter
• Depends onCosmic Inflation
• Related toDark Matter Halo
• Related toGalaxy Cluster
• Part of modelThe Lambda-CDM Model
• ContainsThe Cosmic Web
• ContainsLarge-Scale Structure
• Measured bySloan Digital Sky Survey
• Measured byDark Energy Survey
• Measured byVera C. Rubin Observatory
• Required byThe Cosmic Web
• Required byLarge-Scale Structure
• Required byDark Matter Halo
• Preceded byReionization
• Followed byThe Present Universe
• Associated withAmplitude of Fluctuations (σ8)