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Fractals and the Large-Scale Structure

in the Universe

2. Is the Cosmological Principle Valid?

A K Mittal and T R Seshadri


A K Mittal

A K Mittal is currently a visiting scientist at Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad, on leave from the University of Allahabad. His research interests include chaos, fractals and their applications, particularly in cosmology and in weather prediction.

T R Seshadri

T R Seshadri is at the Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi. He is presently on lien from Harish-Chandra Research Institute, Allahabad. Areas of his interest include cosmic microwave background radiation, large scale structures in the Universe and application of fractals in these.

 

In Part 1 of this article, we had introduced the reader to some basic concepts of fractals and some operational algorithms to characterize them. We had also pointed out and clarified some common misconceptions about fractals. In this part we apply the fractal concepts to large-scale structures in the Universe. In particular we discuss the claim by some investigators that the distribution of galaxies in the Universe is a fractal. This is contrary to the standard view that the Universe is homogeneous and isotropic on large scales. Also discussed is the controversy as to whether the matter distribution in the Universe is a fractal on large-scales.

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Address for Correspondence
A K Mittal and T R Seshadri
Harish-Chandra Research Institute
Chhatnag Road,
Jhusi Allahabad 211 019, India.
Email: mittal@mri.ernet.in
seshadri@mri.ernet.in


Indian Academy of Sciences


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