Estimating the large-scale structure of the universe using quasi-stellar object carbon IV absorbers.

Journal of the American Statistical Association, September, 2003 by Loh, J.M.; Quashnock, J.M.; Stein, M.L.

Galaxies have long been known to form large clusters, and cosmologists are interested in characterizing this clustering as a way of studying the large-scale structure of the universe. This work is motivated by a data catalog consisting of information on lines of sight from Earth to distant quasi-stellar objects (QSO's) and the carbon IV absorbers that lie on them. The absorbers are believed to be gas clouds near galaxies too far away to be easily observed. Thus, the absorber catalog provides a unique and interesting way to examine the large-scale structure of the universe. On large scales previous studies have mainly used pairs of absorbers on the same lines of sight to obtain estimates describing the clustering of absorbers. It is clear that absorbers on different lines of sight...

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