Precision cosmology with cosmic voids

Abstract

Cosmic voids, the emptiest regions of the universe are a promising tool to constrain cosmological models. In this paper I introduce the use of voids for cosmology and focus on one of the main systematic effects undermining the optimal extraction of cosmological information from the under-dense regions: peculiar velocities. I present guidelines reduce the impact of peculiar velocities by performing optimal cuts on void catalogues. Additionally I discuss the considerable increase in void statistics to be expected from future surveys and present an estimate of the number of voids to be obtained from two upcoming surveys: the ESA-lead Euclid survey and the NASA-lead WFIRST mission. †