Structure formation refers to the process by which small initial density fluctuations in the early universe grow over time to form galaxies, clusters, and larger cosmic structures. It is driven by gravitational instability, with dark matter playing a crucial role in the hierarchical clustering of matter.

Structure Formation

Structure formation

The early universe refers to the period immediately following the Big Bang, characterized by rapid expansion and cooling that led to the formation of fundamental particles and eventually atoms. This era set the stage for the development of cosmic structures such as galaxies, stars, and planets through processes governed by fundamental forces and cosmic inflation.

early universe

Density fluctuations refer to the variations in density within a medium, which can significantly affect the behavior and properties of that medium, such as sound propagation, light scattering, and phase transitions. These fluctuations are crucial for understanding phenomena in fields ranging from cosmology, where they influence the distribution of matter in the universe, to material science, where they impact the stability and characteristics of materials.

density fluctuations

Galaxies are massive systems composed of stars, stellar remnants, interstellar gas, dust, and dark matter, bound together by gravity. They are the fundamental building blocks of the universe, each containing millions to trillions of stars and varying greatly in size, structure, and composition.

galaxies

clusters

cosmic structures

Gravitational instability refers to the process by which regions of a self-gravitating fluid become unstable and collapse under their own gravity, leading to the formation of structures such as stars, galaxies, or planetary systems. It plays a crucial role in astrophysics, explaining how large-scale structures in the universe form from small initial density fluctuations.

gravitational instability

Dark matter is a form of matter that does not emit, absorb, or reflect light, making it invisible and detectable only through its gravitational effects on visible matter. It is believed to constitute approximately 27% of the universe, influencing the structure and evolution of galaxies and galaxy clusters.

dark matter

Hierarchical clustering is an unsupervised learning method used to build a hierarchy of clusters by either iteratively merging smaller clusters into larger ones (agglomerative) or dividing larger clusters into smaller ones (divisive). It is particularly useful for visualizing data structure and relationships through dendrograms, allowing for flexible and interpretable clustering solutions without needing to pre-specify the number of clusters.

CUSTOMIZE YOUR LEARNING

CUSTOMIZE YOUR LEARNING

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