Does Webb reveal a fractal universe?

The technological wonder, as I call it, the James Webb Space Telescope, is providing valuable data through its infrared observations that might influence the field of fractal cosmology.

But first, what is fractal cosmology?

In short, fractal cosmology is a minority branch of cosmological theory that proposes the universe's structure or the distribution of matter within it exhibits a fractal-like pattern across a wide range of scales. Fractal patterns are self-similar geometric shapes; parts of the pattern, when magnified, resemble the whole. Fractal cosmology suggests that the universe might exhibit such self-similarity on a large range of scales (100M LY).

It still remains a wee bit of a minority view, and whilst the scientific community has not widely adopted it, it presents an interesting perspective on the structure of the universe and continues to be an area of theoretical exploration.

Self similarity more apparent in infrared?

The infrared areas show regions where the interstellar medium within the galaxy is organized into distinct bubbles or voids with dense, dusty, and gaseous materials surrounding them.

Although not displaying perfect self-similarity, it may suggest a fractal-like pattern. In nature, such patterns do not have to be identical at every scale, but they exhibit a family resemblance—a similar arrangement or structure that recurs.

The pattern of voids in this galaxy shows regions of less density, which may seem to be distributed in a way that echoes across different scales, albeit not with the precision of a mathematical fractal.

Fractal-like category

Nature's fractals tend to exhibit what is known as approximate fractals, also known as fractal-like patterns, where the patterns show self-similarity across different scales but not perfectly or infinitely.

These natural fractals display similar, repeating structures at various magnification levels, though they are often irregular and not exact replicas of themselves.

Examples include tree branching, coastline shape, mountain structure, and galaxy distribution. The fractal patterns are complex and intricate in these cases, yet they do not achieve the precise, infinite self-similarity seen in mathematical fractals.

In these recent infrared images, we can see more fractal-like characteristics.

If so, Webb may have provided us with unique fractal cosmology research.

Scale Invariance / As above so below

Other than self-similarity, scale invariance is another key aspect of fractals. This property means that the structure appears similar at different scales, which can be intuitively summarized by the phrase "as above, so below".

In this galaxy image below of Messier 99, you can clearly see the patterns of voids and filaments maintain their structure whether you look at a small part of the image or the entire galaxy—the structure looks similar regardless of the level of magnification.

Both self-similarity and scale invariance are evident in this image.

Webb's face-on view of spiral galaxy Messier 99.

In fractal-like patterns, we look for a repetition of forms or a type of self-affinity, where similar features can be identified across different areas, even if not at steadily decreasing scales. The fact that these voids are spread across the galaxy and show a certain regularity in their distribution can imply a fractal-like organization in the galaxy's structure.

In such fractal-like scenes, we search for repeated patterns or structures that resonate across a system. This entails the existence and non-existence of matter, like the bright filaments, dark voids, and spiral arms.

Spiral galaxy NGC 1566 is 60 million light-years away in the constellation Dorado.

Moreover, filaments in a galaxy are typically regions of higher density, often outlining areas of intense star formation and interstellar material. When these filaments surround the less dense voids, they create a contrast that accentuates the pattern.

Although these voids do not need to be adjacent, and the filaments may not form a continuous network, their distribution throughout the galaxy can still exhibit a type of self-affinity, where certain structures or forms repeat in a non-uniform but coherent manner. This coherence in the structure, with filaments delineating voids, adds to the galaxy's fractal-like nature.

Although true fractals are infinitely self-similar, natural fractal-like patterns must only show similarity across various scales and areas.

Closing thoughts

Webb's infrared data clearly shows that we can observe fractal-like structures, which is fascinating. This data provides strong evidence for such patterns, but we must proceed cautiously and rigorously. We ought to confirm these findings through further empirical investigation.

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It should be noted that this article by Space Science Lab focuses on small-scale fractal cosmology rather than large-scale fractal cosmology. Although fractal cosmology does not require a fully constant structure at every scale, it exhibits similar repeating patterns at small scales, which is beneficial for fractal cosmology researchers since we can continue to advocate for it at small scales.