The massive exploitation of cosmic voids for precision cosmology in the upcoming dark energy experiments, requires a robust understanding of their internal structure, particularly of their density profile. We show that the void density profile is insensitive to the void radius both in a catalogue of observed voids and in voids from a large cosmological simulation. However, the observed and simulated voids display remarkably different profile shapes, with the former having much steeper profiles than the latter. We ascribe such difference to the dependence of the observed profiles on the galaxy sample used to trace the matter distribution. Samples including low-mass galaxies lead to shallower profiles with respect to the samples where only massive galaxies are used, as faint galaxies live closer to the void centre. We argue that galaxies are biased tracers when used to probe the matter distribution within voids.

We investigate void properties in f(R) models using N-body simulations, focusing on their differences from General Relativity (GR) and their detectability. In the Hu-Sawicki f(R) modified gravity (MG) models, the halo number density profiles of voids are not distinguishable from GR. In contrast, the same f(R) voids are more empty of dark matter, and their profiles are steeper. This can in principle be observed by weak gravitational lensing of voids, for which the combination of a spectroscopic redshift and a lensing photometric redshift survey over the same sky is required. Neglecting the lensing shape noise, the f(R) model parameter amplitudes fR0=10-5 and 10-4 may be distinguished from GR using the lensing tangential shear signal around voids by 4 and 8 σ for a volume of 1 (Gpc/h)3. The line-of-sight projection of large-scale structure is the main systematics that limits the significance of this signal for the near future wide angle and deep lensing surveys. For this reason, it is challenging to distinguish fR0=10-6 from GR. We expect that this can be overcome with larger volume. The halo void abundance being smaller and the steepening of dark matter void profiles in f(R) models are unique features that can be combined to break the degeneracy between fR0 and σ8.

Bulk flows of galaxies moving with respect to the cosmic microwave background are well established observationally and seen in the most recent ΛCDM simulations. With the aid of an idealised Gadget-2 simulation, we show that void asymmetries in the cosmic web can exacerbate local bulk flows of galaxies. The {\it Cosmicflows-2} survey, which has mapped in detail the 3D structure of the Local Universe, reveals that the Local Group resides in a “local sheet” of galaxies that borders a “local void” with a diameter of about 40 Mpc. The void is emptying out at a rate of 16 km s-1 Mpc-1. In a co-moving frame, the Local Sheet is found to be moving away from the Local Void at ∼ 260 km s-1. Our model shows how asymmetric collapse due to unbalanced voids on either side of a developing sheet or wall can lead to a systematic movement of the sheet. We conjectured that asymmetries could lead to a large-scale separation of dark matter and baryons, thereby driving a dependence of galaxy properties with environment, but we do {\it not} find any evidence for this effect.

Using an algorithm based on searching for empty spheres we identified 245 voids in the VIMOS Public Extragalactic Redshift Survey (VIPERS). We show how by modelling the anisotropic void-galaxy cross correlation function we can probe the growth rate of structure.

We study the formation and evolution of the cosmic web, using the high-resolution CosmoGrid ΛCDM simulation. In particular, we investigate the evolution of the large-scale structure around void halo groups, and compare this to observations of the VGS-31 galaxy group, which consists of three interacting galaxies inside a large void.

The structure around such haloes shows a great deal of tenuous structure, with most of such systems being embedded in intra-void filaments and walls. We use the Nexus+} algorithm to detect walls and filaments in CosmoGrid, and find them to be present and detectable at every scale. The void regions embed tenuous walls, which in turn embed tenuous filaments. We hypothesize that the void galaxy group of VGS-31 formed in such an environment.

We examine the stacked integrated Sachs-Wolfe (ISW) imprints on the CMB along the lines of sight of voids and superclusters in galaxy surveys, using the Jubilee ISW simulation and mock luminous red galaxy (LRG) catalogues. We show that the expected signal in the concordance \Lam CDM model is much smaller than the primary anisotropies arising at the last scattering surface and therefore any currently claimed detections of such an imprint cannot be caused by the ISW effect in \Lam CDM. We look for the existence of such a signal in the Planck CMB using a catalogue of voids and superclusters from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS), but find a result completely consistent with \Lam CDM – i.e., a null detection.

Claims of a significant underdensity or void in the density distribution on scales out to ≃ 300 Mpc have recently been made using samples of galaxies. We present the results of an alternative test of the matter distribution on these scales using clusters of galaxies, which provide an independent and powerful probe of large-scale structure. We study the density distribution of X-ray clusters from the ROSAT-based REFLEX II catalogue, which covers a contiguous area of 4.24 steradians in the southern hempsphere (34% of the entire sky). Using the normalised comoving number density of clusters we find evidence for an underdensity (30-40%), out to z∼ 0.04, equivalent to ≃170 Mpc and with a significance of 3.4σ. On scales between 300 Mpc and 1 Gpc the distribution of REFLEX II clusters is consistent with being uniform. We also confirm recent results that the underdensity has a large contribution from the direction of the South Galactic Cap region, but is not significant in the direction of the Northern Galactic Cap as viewed from the southern sky. Both the limited size of the detected underdensity and its lack of isotropy, argue against the idea that the Type Ia supernovae data can be explained without the need for dark energy.

We use properties of void populations identified in N-body simulations to forecast the ability of upcoming galaxy surveys to differentiate models of f(R) gravity from \lcdm cosmology. We analyze simulations designed to mimic the densities, volumes, and clustering statistics of upcoming surveys, using the public {\tt VIDE} toolkit. We examine void abundances as a basic probe at redshifts 1.0 and 0.4. We find that stronger f(R) coupling strengths produce voids up to ∼20% larger in radius, leading to a significant shift in the void number function. As an initial estimate of the constraining power of voids, we use this change in the number function to forecast a constraint on the coupling strength of Δ fR0 = 10-5.

Voids represent a unique environment for the study of galaxy evolution, as the lower density environment is expected to result in shorter merger histories and slower evolution of galaxies. This provides an ideal opportunity to test theories of galaxy formation and evolution. Imaging of the neutral hydrogen, central in both driving and regulating star formation, directly traces the gas reservoir and can reveal interactions and signs of cold gas accretion. For a new Void Galaxy Survey (VGS), we have carefully selected a sample of 59 galaxies that reside in the deepest underdensities of geometrically identified voids within the SDSS at distances of ∼100 Mpc, and pursued deep UV, optical, Hα, IR, and HI imaging to study in detail the morphology and kinematics of both the stellar and gaseous components. This sample allows us to not only examine the global statistical properties of void galaxies, but also to explore the details of the dynamical properties. We present an overview of the VGS, and highlight key results on the HI content and individually interesting systems. In general, we find that the void galaxies are gas rich, low luminosity, blue disk galaxies, with optical and HI properties that are not unusual for their luminosity and morphology. We see evidence of both ongoing assembly, through the gas dynamics between interacting systems, and significant gas accretion, seen in extended gas disks and kinematic misalignments. The VGS establishes a local reference sample to be used in future HI surveys (CHILES, DINGO, LADUMA) that will directly observe the HI evolution of void galaxies over cosmic time.

We present the structural and star formation properties of 59 void galaxies as part of the Void Galaxy Survey (VGS). Our aim is to study in detail the physical properties of these void galaxies and study the effect of the void environment on galaxy properties. We use Spitzer 3.6μ and B-band imaging to study the morphology and color of the VGS galaxies. For their star formation properties, we use Hα and GALEX near-UV imaging. We compare our results to a range of galaxies of different morphologies in higher density environments. We find that the VGS galaxies are in general disk dominated and star forming galaxies. Their star formation rates are, however, often less than 1 M⊙ yr-1. There are two early-type galaxies in our sample as well. In re versus MB parameter space, VGS galaxies occupy the same space as dwarf irregulars and spirals.

The intermediate results of the ongoing study of deep samples of ∼200 galaxies residing in nearby voids, are presented. Their properties are probed via optical spectroscopy, ugri surface photometry, and HI 21-cm line measurements, with emphasis on their evolutionary status. We derive directly the hydrogen mass M(HI), the ratio M(HI)/LB and the evolutionary parameter gas-phase O/H. Their luminosities and integrated colours are used to derive stellar mass M* and the second evolutionary parameter – gas mass-fraction fg). The colours of the outer parts, typically representative of the galaxy oldest stellar population, are used to estimate the upper limits on time since the beginning of the main SF episode. We compare properties of void galaxies with those of the similar late-type galaxies in denser environments. Most of void galaxies show smaller O/H for their luminosity, in average by ∼30\%, indicating slower evolution. Besides, the fraction of ∼10\% of the whole void sample or ∼30\% of the least luminous void LSB dwarfs show the oxygen deficiency by a factor of 2–5. The majority of this group appear very gas-rich, with fg ∼(95–99)%, while their outer parts appear rather blue, indicating the time of onset of the main star-formation episode of less than 1–4 Gyr. Such unevolved LSBD galaxies appear not rare among the smallest void objects, but turned out practically missed to date due to the strong observational selection effects. Our results evidense for unusual evolutionary properties of the sizable fraction of void galaxies, and thus, pose the task of better modelling of dwarf galaxy formation and evolution in voids.

We present the detection of molecular gas using CO(1–0) line emission and followup Hα imaging observations of galaxies located in nearby voids. The CO(1–0) observations were done using the 45m telescope of the Nobeyama Radio Observatory (NRO) and the optical observations were done using the Himalayan Chandra Telescope (HCT). Although void galaxies lie in the most underdense parts of our universe, a significant fraction of them are gas rich, spiral galaxies that show signatures of ongoing star formation. Not much is known about their cold gas content or star formation properties. In this study we searched for molecular gas in five void galaxies using the NRO. The galaxies were selected based on their relatively higher IRAS fluxes or Hα line luminosities. CO(1–0) emission was detected in four galaxies and the derived molecular gas masses lie between (1 - 8)×109M⊙. The Hα imaging observations of three galaxies detected in CO emission indicates ongoing star formation and the derived star formation rates vary between from 0.2 – 1.0 M7odot; yr-1, which is similar to that observed in local galaxies. Our study shows that although void galaxies reside in underdense regions, their disks may contain molecular gas and have star formation rates similar to galaxies in denser environments.

The presence or absence of dwarf galaxies with Mr' > -14 in low-density volumes correlates with dark matter halos and how they affect galaxy formation. We are conducting a redshifted Hα imaging survey for dwarf galaxies with Mr' > -13 in the heart of the well-defined voids FN2 and FN8 using the KPNO 4m Mayall telescope and Mosaic Imager. These data have furnished over 600 strong candidates in a four square degree area. Follow-up spectra finding none of these candidates to be within the void volumes will constrain the dwarf population there to be 2 to 8% of the cosmic mean. Conversely, finding even one Hα dwarf in the void heart will challenge several otherwise successful theories of large-scale structure formation.

We present the first measurement of the growth rate of structure at z=0.8. It has been obtained from the redshift-space distortions observed in the galaxy clustering pattern in the VIMOS Public Redshift survey (VIPERS) first data release. VIPERS is a large galaxy redshift survey probing the large-scale structure at 0.5 < z < 1.2 with an unprecedented accuracy. This measurement represents a new reference in the distant Universe, which has been poorly explored until now. We obtain σ8 = 0.47 ± 0.08 at z = 0.8 that is consistent with the predictions of standard cosmological models based on Einstein gravity. This measurement alone is however not accurate enough to allow the detection of possible deviations from standard gravity.

In 2008, Granett et al. claimed a direct detection of the integrated Sachs-Wolfe (iSW) effect, through the stacking of CMB patches at the positions of identified superstructures. Additionally, the high amplitude of their measured signal was reported to be at odds with predictions from the standard model of cosmology. However, a closer inspection of these results prompts multiple questions, more specifically about the amplitude and significance of the expected signal. We propose here an original theoretical prediction of the iSW effect produced by such superstructures. We use simulations based on GR and the LTB metric to reproduce cosmic structures and predict their exact theoretical iSW effect on the CMB. The amplitudes predicted with this method are consistent with the signal measured when properly accounting the contribution of the non-negligible (and fortuitous) primordial CMB fluctuations to the total signal. It also highlights the tricky nature of stacking measurements and their interpretation.

WMAP CMB polarization maps have been used to detect a low signal of Faraday Rotation (FR). If this detection is not interpreted as simple noise, it could be produced:

at the last scattering surface (LSS) (z=1100), being primordial,

at Reionization (z=10),

in the Milky Way.

The second interpretation is favoured here. In this case magnetic fields at Reionization with peak values of the order of 10-8 G should produce this observational FR.

Observed spectra of quasars provide a powerful tool to test the possible spatial and temporal variations of the fine-structure constant α = e2/ћc over the history of the Universe. It is demonstrated that high sensitivity to the variation of α can be obtained from a comparison of the spectra of quasars and laboratories. We reported a new constraint on the variation of the fine-structure constant based on the analysis of the optical spectra of the fine-structure transitions in [NeIII], [NeV], [OIII], [OI] and [SII] multiplets from 14 Seyfert 1.5 galaxies. The weighted mean value of the α-variation derived from our analysis over the redshift range 0.035 < z < 0.281 Δα/α= (4.50 ± 5.53) \times 10-5. This result presents strong limit improvements on the constraint on Δα/α compared to the published in the literature

We consider evolution properties of galaxies and quasars with steep radio spectrum at the decametre band from the UTR-2 catalogue. The ratios of source's monochromatic luminosities at the decametre and high-frequency bands display the dependence on the redshift, linear size, characteristic age of examined objects. At that, the mean values of corresponding ratios for considered galaxies and quasars have enough close quantities,testifying on the unified model of sources. We analyse obtained relations for two types of steep-spectrum sources (with linear steep spectrum (S) and low-frequency steepness after a break (C+)) from the UTR-2 catalogue.

Collisional fluid mechanics theory predicts a turbulent hot big bang at Planck conditions from large, negative, turbulence stresses below the Fortov-Kerr limit (< −10113Pa). Big bang turbulence fossilized when quarks formed, extracting the mass energy of the universe by extreme negative viscous stresses of inflation, expanding to length scales larger than the horizon scale ct. Viscous-gravitational structure formation by fragmentation was triggered at big bang fossil vorticity turbulence vortex lines during the plasma epoch, as observed by the Planck space telescope. A cosmic web of protogalaxies, protogalaxyclusters, and protogalaxysuperclusters that formed in turbulent boundary layers of the spinning voids are hereby identified as expanding turbulence fossils that falsify CDMHC cosmology.

It has come to our attention that the article The Dark Matter filament between Abell 222/223 (Dietrich et al. 2016) published on 12 October 2016 contained an error in the copyright line. The article was published with copyright IAU. The correct copyright line is © The Authors 2017. Published by Cambridge University Press. This has been corrected in the online version.

We apologise to the authors of the article, and to Springer Nature for this error.