Rotating Cosmic Filament and Galaxy Spin
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The large-scale structure of the universe is woven from vast cosmic filaments that connect galaxy clusters across tens of millions of light-years. New analysis within the Andromeda Grand Survey reveals evidence that one of the largest known filaments exhibits coherent rotation, suggesting that supercluster-scale dynamics play a fundamental role in shaping the spin of galaxies embedded within them.
Observations: Mapping Motion Across a Giant Cosmic Filament
Using precision redshift measurements and galaxy velocity fields, AGS data trace the kinematic structure of a filament extending over approximately 50 million light-years. The observed velocity gradients indicate organized rotational motion rather than random gravitational flows.
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Large-Scale Velocity Coherence
Galaxies on opposite sides of the filament exhibit systematic velocity offsets, consistent with a slow but coherent rotational pattern across the entire structure.
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Connection to Supercluster Environment
The filament links multiple massive nodes within a supercluster, suggesting that angular momentum may originate from early tidal torques during structure formation.
Analysis I: Origin of Filament Rotation
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Tidal Torque Generation
Early gravitational interactions between forming clusters can impart angular momentum to the surrounding matter, causing entire filaments to rotate as they collapse.
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Dark Matter-Dominated Dynamics
The rotation is primarily driven by dark matter flows, with galaxies acting as luminous tracers of the underlying gravitational structure.
Analysis II: Impact on Galaxy Rotation
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Spin Alignment Along the Filament Axis
Galaxies embedded within the filament show preferential alignment of their rotation axes, indicating that angular momentum is inherited from the cosmic environment.
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Long-Term Evolution of Disk Galaxies
Sustained accretion along rotating filaments can influence disk stability, star formation rates, and the growth of galactic angular momentum over billions of years.
Discussion: Rethinking the Cosmic Web as a Dynamic System
These findings challenge the view of filaments as static bridges between clusters. Instead, they emerge as dynamically evolving structures capable of redistributing angular momentum across vast cosmic scales.
Conclusion: When the Universe Starts to Spin
The Andromeda Grand Survey reveals that galaxy rotation is not solely determined by local conditions but is influenced by supercluster-scale dynamics. Rotating cosmic filaments provide a missing link between early-universe structure formation and the present-day spin of galaxies.
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