3D distributions in GAMA

The following links are to 3D rotating images of galaxy distributions from the Galaxy And Mass Assembly Survey data. The units of the axes are megaparsecs (Mpc), and one Mpc is about three million light years. The symbols are colour coded according to the estimated mass in stars within the galaxies:

Click on figures for rotation:

GAMA G09 field GAMA G12 field GAMA G15 field

Note the 3D moving representation is from the point of view of an observer in front of the small cross. The redshift range is 0.015 to 0.04 for each of the GAMA fields, known as G09, G12 and G15.

Note there is some uncertainty in the distance of each galaxy from the Earth because there is some uncertainty as to how much of the measured redshift is caused by gravitational attraction of other galaxies rather than the expansion of the Universe (Hubble law). This is primarily along the y-axis in these figures.

As the galaxy points go round in the plots, on the second loop, galaxies are linked by lines according to a galaxy group finder. You will notice that these links appear primarily along the y-axis because of the distance uncertainties mentioned above. They are grouped together because they are near each other on the sky and have similar redshifts. On the third loop, the satellite galaxies are suppressed, shown with small grey points, and only the central or isolated galaxies remain in colour.