2019/03/12 by Alice Pisani, Elena Massara, Pisani, Alice +64 · 46 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Astronomy #Astrophysics #Astrophysics and Cosmic Phenomena #COSMIC cancer database #Cosmology #Cosmology and Gravitation Theories #Cosmology and Nongalactic Astrophysics (astro-ph.CO) #Dark energy #Dark matter #FOS: Physical sciences #Galaxies: Formation, Evolution, Phenomena #Galaxy #Metric expansion of space #Neutrino #Observable #Observable universe #Particle physics #Physics #Population #Redshift #Universe #Void (composites) #Weak gravitational lensing #astro-ph.CO
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1903.05161
published in arXiv (Cornell University) (Cornell University) · Science White Paper for the Astro2020 Decadal Survey, 5 pages text, 14 pages with references and affiliations
arxiv created 2019/03/12 · openalex publication_date 2019/03/12 · arxiv updated 2019/03/14 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
Cosmic voids, the less dense patches of the Universe, are promising laboratories to extract cosmological information. Thanks to their unique low density character, voids are extremely sensitive to diffuse components such as neutrinos and dark energy, and represent ideal environments to study modifications of gravity, where the effects of such modifications are expected to be more prominent. Robust void-related observables, including for example redshift-space distortions (RSD) and weak lensing around voids, are a promising way to chase and test new physics. Cosmological analysis of the large-scale structure of the Universe predominantly relies on the high density regions. Current and upcoming surveys are designed to optimize the extraction of cosmological information from these zones, but leave voids under-exploited. A dense, large area spectroscopic survey with imaging capabilities is ideal to exploit the power of voids fully. Besides helping illuminate the nature of dark energy, modified gravity, and neutrinos, this survey will give access to a detailed map of under-dense regions, providing an unprecedented opportunity to observe and study a so far under-explored galaxy population.