DESI Cosmic Void Galaxies investigates the "nature versus nurture" debate in galaxy evolution by leveraging the statistical power of DESI DR1 to measure how cosmic environment affects galaxy properties. Through systematic comparison of galaxies in cosmic voids versus dense "walls," this project provides definitive constraints on environmental quenching and star formation suppression mechanisms.
This project addresses fundamental questions in galaxy evolution by studying how the most extreme large-scale environments influence galaxy properties and star formation activity.
- 🏠 Nature vs. Nurture: Are galaxy properties primarily determined by intrinsic mass or environmental interactions?
- 🌌 Void Environment Effects: How does the ultimate "field" environment of cosmic voids affect galaxy evolution?
- ⭐ Star Formation Quenching: Do void galaxies have enhanced or suppressed star formation compared to wall galaxies?
- 📊 Mass Function Variations: How does the galaxy stellar mass function differ between extreme environments?
- 🏆 Unprecedented Statistical Power: Leverage DESI DR1's massive galaxy sample to achieve the most precise measurement of environmental effects on galaxy evolution to date
- 🧪 Clean Environmental Separation: Compare galaxies in cosmic voids (ultimate low-density environment) with those in surrounding walls (higher-density regions) to isolate large-scale environmental effects
- ⚡ Early Results Strategy: Low data engineering barrier enables rapid scientific results while more intensive spectral projects develop
- 🏆 Precision Measurement: Most definitive quantification of void environment effects on galaxy properties
- 📋 Enriched Catalog: Value-Added Catalog with environmental classifications for community use
- 🧮 Theory Benchmarks: Critical observational constraints for cosmological simulations
- ⚡ Early Publication: First major result demonstrating research capabilities
The universe's large-scale structure consists of a cosmic web with distinct environmental regimes:
- Vast, underdense regions comprising bulk of universe's volume
- Minimal galaxy mergers, tidal stripping, or ram-pressure stripping
- Ultimate "field" environment for studying intrinsic galaxy evolution
- Low-density, low-interaction regime
- Dense filamentary structures surrounding voids
- Higher galaxy density and interaction rates
- Enhanced merger activity and environmental processes
- Comparison population for environmental studies
| Environment | Dominant Processes | Expected Effects |
|---|---|---|
| Cosmic Voids | Minimal interactions, pristine gas supply | Enhanced/prolonged star formation |
| Cosmic Walls | Mergers, harassment, gas stripping | Earlier quenching, mass-dependent effects |
This project's efficiency stems from leveraging existing, high-quality DESI DR1 Value-Added Catalogs, bypassing intensive raw spectral processing.
- DESIVAST VAC: Cosmic void catalog with positions, redshifts, and effective radii (~1.2GB)
- FastSpecFit VAC: Galaxy properties catalog providing stellar masses and SFR measurements (~26.4GB)
- Total Data Volume: 27.6GB
- Low Barrier to Entry: Direct analysis from pre-computed VACs
- Rapid Development: No custom ETL pipeline required for spectral processing
- Early Results: Can begin immediately while other projects develop infrastructure
graph TD
A[DESI DR1 Galaxy Sample<br/>🌌 ~13.1M Galaxies] --> B[DESIVAST Void Catalog<br/>🕳️ Cosmic Void Positions]
A --> C[Galaxy Properties VAC<br/>⭐ Stellar Mass + SFR]
B --> D[3D Spatial Cross-Match<br/>📍 Comoving Distance Calculation]
C --> D
D --> E[Environmental Classification<br/>🏷️ Void vs. Wall Assignment]
E --> F[Statistical Analysis<br/>📊 Comparative Studies]
F --> G[Galaxy Stellar Mass Function<br/>📈 Environment Comparison]
F --> H[Star-Forming Main Sequence<br/>⭐ SFR vs. Mass Relations]
F --> I[Quenched Fraction Analysis<br/>🔄 Environment-Dependent Quenching]
G --> J[Scientific Publication<br/>📄 Precision Environmental Constraints]
H --> J
I --> J
J --> K[Enriched VAC Release<br/>📋 Community Resource]
style A fill:#e3f2fd
style E fill:#fff3e0
style F fill:#e8f5e8
style J fill:#fce4ec
- 3D Distance Calculation: Compute comoving distance from each galaxy to all void centers
- Radius Comparison: Check if galaxy distance < void effective radius
- Binary Classification:
- 'Void': Galaxy interior to any catalogued void
- 'Wall': Galaxy exterior to all voids (higher-density regions)
| Analysis | Method | Scientific Insight |
|---|---|---|
| Galaxy Stellar Mass Function | Number density vs. stellar mass for void and wall populations | Mass-dependent environmental effects, characteristic mass variations |
| Star-Forming Main Sequence | SFR vs. stellar mass correlation by environment | Environmental effects on star formation efficiency |
| Quenched Fraction Measurements | Fraction of galaxies below SFR threshold by mass bins and environment | Environment-dependent quenching mechanisms and mass dependence |
- Database Server: proj-pg01 (8 vCPU, 48GB RAM, 250GB NVMe)
- Analysis Platform: proj-dp01 (4 vCPU, 16GB RAM, 100GB NVMe)
- Backup Infrastructure: pbs01 with 4TB storage and S3 Glacier archival
- 🐍 Language: Python 3.9+ with scientific computing libraries
- 🗄️ Database: PostgreSQL 16 for catalog operations and spatial queries
- 🌌 Astronomy: AstroPy for coordinate systems and cosmological calculations
- 📊 Data Analysis: Pandas, NumPy for tabular data manipulation
- 📈 Statistical Tools: SciPy.stats for significance testing and statistical analysis
- 📊 Visualization: Matplotlib, Seaborn for publication-quality scientific plots
- Minimal Infrastructure: No distributed computing or GPU requirements
- Standard Python Stack: Leverages well-established scientific libraries
- Single Database: PostgreSQL sufficient for all analysis requirements
- Rapid Development: Clear path to early scientific publication
Current Phase: Infrastructure deployment and repository setup
Next Milestone: Database implementation and data ingestion pipeline
Timeline: 12-week roadmap from setup to publication
| Phase | Duration | Key Deliverable | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Environment Setup | 1 Week | Python environment and dependencies | 🔄 In Progress |
| Database Architecture | 1 Week | PostgreSQL schema and optimization | ⏳ Pending |
| Data Ingestion | 1 Week | 27.6GB DESI data loaded | ⏳ Pending |
| Scientific Analysis | 2 Weeks | Environmental classification and statistics | ⏳ Pending |
| Visualization | 1 Week | Publication-quality figures | ⏳ Pending |
| Manuscript | 3 Weeks | Complete scientific paper | ⏳ Pending |
| Review & Submission | 2 Weeks | Journal submission | ⏳ Pending |
Early Win Strategy: This project provides systematic validation of the lab's analytical capabilities and produces publishable results while more infrastructure-intensive projects develop their pipelines.
desi-cosmic-void-galaxies/
├── 📚 docs/ # Scientific methodology and project documentation
├── 🏗️ infrastructure/ # Database, deployment, and operations documentation
├── 💻 src/ # Source code and analysis workflows
├── 🛠️ scripts/ # Repository management and utility scripts
├── 📋 ROADMAP.md # Detailed implementation roadmap
├── 📝 README.md # This file
└── 📄 LICENSE # MIT License- 📋 Implementation Roadmap - Complete 12-week technical roadmap
- 📚 Project Documentation - Architecture and methodology
- 🏗️ Infrastructure Guide - Database and deployment
- 💻 Source Code Overview - Analysis workflows and tools
This project is part of the Proxmox Astronomy Lab research program:
- 🏠 Main Infrastructure: proxmox-astronomy-lab - 7-node cluster infrastructure and documentation
- 🔮 Development Platform: the-crystal-forge - POC platform and methodology validation
- 🔍 Project 1: desi-qso-anomaly-detection - ML-driven anomaly detection in QSO spectra
- 💨 Project 2: desi-quasar-outflows - AGN feedback and outflow energetics analysis
- 🌌 This Project: Environmental quenching in cosmic voids
- 🔭 DESI DR1: Official DESI Data Portal - Primary galaxy dataset
- 🕳️ DESIVAST VAC: DESI DR1 cosmic void catalog for environmental classification
- ⭐ Galaxy Properties VACs: FastSpecFit/Mass EMLines catalogs for stellar masses and SFR
This project implements systematic AI-human collaboration through transparent documentation and open science practices.
- 📖 Documentation First: All analyses require comprehensive methodology description
- 📊 Statistical Rigor: Systematic validation of statistical significance and error analysis
- 🔍 Reproducible Science: Complete workflow documentation enabling independent verification
- 🌐 Open Data: Commitment to public release of enriched environmental VAC
- Review the Implementation Roadmap for technical details
- Check the Infrastructure Documentation for setup requirements
- See our Documentation Standards for contribution guidelines
- Statistical rigor with appropriate significance testing
- Open science foundation built on public DESI data
- Transparent methodology with complete documentation
- Community value through enriched catalog release
This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.
DESI Cosmic Void Galaxies demonstrates responsible environmental studies through systematic statistical methods, open science principles, and transparent methodology. Built on public DESI data and open-source analysis tools, this project contributes to the astronomical community through precision environmental measurements and enriched catalog products.
🌌 Built for precision environmental studies | Part of Proxmox Astronomy Lab
Documentation generated July 1, 2025