One of the central questions of modern cosmology is how matter is distributed throughout the Universe. Large galaxy surveys have revealed that galaxies are not spread uniformly in space but form a complex network of filaments, clusters, and vast empty regions known as voids—the so-called cosmic web.
My research focuses on the statistical properties of these structures and on what they can tell us about the origin and evolution of the Universe. Using concepts and methods from statistical physics, I investigate the nature of galaxy clustering, the spatial extent of cosmic structures, and the transition—if any—from an inhomogeneous Universe to a homogeneous one on the largest observable scales.
Our work has shown that galaxy correlations follow scale-invariant, power-law behavior over a wide range of scales and that density fluctuations exhibit statistical properties similar to those found in critical phenomena in condensed matter physics. In particular, we found that galaxy density fluctuations are better described by the Gumbel distribution of extreme-value statistics than by the Gaussian fluctuations expected in a homogeneous Universe.
A major focus of my recent research is the analysis of the largest available galaxy surveys, including the Sloan Digital Sky Survey (SDSS) and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI). These studies aim to quantify the size, geometry, and persistence of cosmic structures and to test one of the fundamental assumptions of modern cosmology: that the Universe becomes statistically homogeneous and isotropic on sufficiently large scales.
More broadly, this research explores the interface between cosmology and statistical physics, using the tools developed to study complex systems to understand the emergence of structure in the Universe and to test competing models of cosmic evolution.
Francesco sylos labini 