Yes, the cosmic web is a real structure that exists on the largest scales in the universe. It is a fundamental concept in cosmology and describes the large-scale distribution of matter, including galaxies, galaxy clusters, and vast cosmic voids.
The cosmic web is a network-like structure composed primarily of dark matter and gas. Dark matter is an invisible form of matter that does not interact with light or other electromagnetic radiation but exerts gravitational forces. It is thought to make up about 27% of the universe's total mass-energy content.
The formation of the cosmic web is driven by the gravitational attraction between dark matter and ordinary matter. In the early universe, regions with slightly higher densities of matter attracted more matter through gravity, leading to the formation of denser clumps and filaments. Over billions of years, gravity continued to pull matter together, resulting in the intricate web-like structure observed today.
The filaments of the cosmic web form the backbone of the structure, connecting galaxy clusters and groups. They are composed of dark matter and intergalactic gas, with galaxies tending to cluster along these filamentary structures. Voids, on the other hand, are vast regions between the filaments where matter is relatively sparser.
The cosmic web is a manifestation of the large-scale structure of the universe, reflecting the distribution of matter on scales of hundreds of millions of light-years. Its existence is supported by observations from surveys of the distribution of galaxies, the cosmic microwave background radiation, and computer simulations that model the growth of structure in the universe.
Studying the cosmic web provides valuable insights into the formation and evolution of cosmic structures, the nature of dark matter, and the overall structure and history of the universe.