The Local Void is Really Empty

Abstract

Are voids in the distribution of galaxies only places with reduced matter density and low star formation efficiency or are they empty of matter? There is now compelling evidence of expansion away from the Local Void at very high velocities. The motion is most reasonably interpreted as an evacuation of the void, which requires that the void be very large and very empty.Comment: Proceedings IAU Symp. 244: Dark Galaxies and Lost Baryons. Cardiff, 25-29 June, 2007. 6 pages, 5 figure