A Quick Verification of the 2-D Galaxy Distribution with SDSS Data

TL;DR

This paper provides a Mathematica code tool to quickly verify the non-homogeneous, clustered 2D distribution of nearby galaxies using SDSS data, demonstrating a simple method inspired by Minkowski functionals.

Contribution

It introduces an accessible, quick verification method and source code for analyzing galaxy distributions with SDSS data, aiding nonexpert scientists.

Findings

Galaxies are distributed non-homogeneously and cluster on 2D structures.

Distances to neighboring galaxies match 2D clustering patterns.

The method is simple and suitable for quick analysis.

Abstract

We present source code for the computer algebra system Mathematica that analyzes the distribution of nearby Galaxies using SDSS data. Download instructions are given, thus within 10 minutes, the reader can verify that galaxies are distributed in an essentially non-homogeneous manner and cluster on 2-dimensional structures. The short code uses a simple method inspired by Minkowski functionals: the distances to the next neighbors are calculated and compared to random distributions in three and two dimensions. The observed distance distribution corresponds clearly to the latter case. The paper may also be helpful for nonexpert scientists to get started with SDSS data analysis.