On the morphology of superclusters

Abstract

This paper explores the morphology of superclusters, focusing on the shapes and orientations of superclusters and possible alignments of the galaxy clusters which reside within them. A catalog of superclusters is generated using a simple procedure which uses available data on the three-dimensional distribution of Abell clusters. The results point toward a population of predominantly prolate superclusters with a moderate degree of flattening, with the galaxy clusters which reside within them exhibiting a clear tendency to be aligned over quite large distances.