Astrophysics & Particle Physics-APPC 2026

The cosmic web is the immense, filamentary structure that gives the universe its large-scale organization. Made up of galaxy filaments, clusters, and voids, the cosmic web is defined by the gravitational forces of dark matter and the distribution of baryonic matter, following the scaffolding on which galaxies and galaxy clusters develop.The cosmic web is created by the process of gravitational collapse from tiny density differences in the early universe. Dark matter is the strongest driver of this structure, forming potential wells in which baryonic matter accretes to create galaxies, clusters, and intergalactic gas.Observational confirmation of the cosmic web arises in galaxy surveys, weak gravitational lensing, and the distribution of the intergalactic medium (IGM).

Cosmic web mapping assists astronomers in grasping the formation of large-scale structure, the evolution of galaxies, and the distribution of dark matter and baryons.The cosmic web is also important for galaxy evolution because matter moves along filaments toward clusters, supplying star formation and the impacts galactic interactions have on galaxies. Numerical simulations of the cosmos, including cosmological N-body simulations, reproduce the large-scale survey filamentary patterns and give insight into cosmic web structure formation and the nature of dark matter.To sum up, the cosmic web is the delicate network of filaments, clusters, and voids that characterizes the large-scale structure of the universe. It emphasizes the role of gravity, dark matter, and baryonic matter in galaxy formation, cosmic evolution, and the structure of the cosmos.