In Space Science Reviews
http://arxiv.org/abs/1504.05456
For a PDF version of the article, click here.
GALAXY ALIGNMENTS: AN OVERVIEW
Benjamin Joachimi, Marcello Cacciato, Thomas D. Kitching, Adrienne
Leonard, Rachel Mandelbaum, Björn Malte Schäfer, Cristóbal
Sifón, Henk Hoekstra, Alina Kiessling, Donnacha Kirk, Anais Rassat
1 Department of Physics and Astronomy,
University College
London, Gower Street, London WC1E 6BT, UK
2 Leiden Observatory,
Leiden University,
PO Box 9513, 2300 RA, Leiden, the Netherlands
3 Mullard
Space Science Laboratory,
University College
London, Holmbury St Mary, Dorking, Surrey RH5 6NT, UK
4 McWilliams Center for Cosmology,
Department of
Physics,
Carnegie Mellon
University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA
5 Zentrum für Astronomie der Universität
Heidelberg, Astronomisches Recheninstitut, Philosophenweg 12, 69120
Heidelberg, Germany
6 Jet
Propulsion Laboratory,
California Institute
of Technology, 4800 Oak Grove Drive, Pasadena, CA, 91109, USA
7 Laboratoire
d'astrophysique (LASTRO),
Ecole Polytechnique
Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL),
Observatoire de Sauverny, CH-1290 Versoix, Switzerland
Abstract:
The alignments between galaxies, their underlying matter structures, and
the cosmic web constitute vital ingredients for a comprehensive
understanding of gravity, the nature of matter, and structure formation
in the Universe. We provide an overview on the state of the art in the
study of these alignment processes and their observational signatures,
aimed at a non-specialist audience. The development of the field over
the past one hundred years is briefly reviewed. We also discuss the
impact of galaxy alignments on measurements of weak gravitational
lensing, and discuss avenues for making theoretical and observational
progress over the coming decade.
Keywords: galaxies: evolution; galaxies: haloes; galaxies:
interactions; large-scale structure of Universe; gravitational lensing:
weak
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