A sub-galaxy-filament of the cosmic web in a nearby galaxy cluster
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Galaxy filaments, as quasi-linear and extensive features of galaxy distributions, are a crucial component of the cosmic web. Cosmological simulations have predicted a hierarchical nature to the filaments. However, a direct view of small-scale filaments has been lacking to validate this prediction. Here we report the detection of a sub-galaxy-filament in the Ursa Major cluster using the atomic-hydrogen observations. This filament consists of cold gas clumps and various types of galaxies, spanning a length of approximately 0.9 megaparsec. Notably, it is extremely thin, with a thickness comparable to the diameter of a galaxy. The baryonic fraction within the filament is measured at 0.18. We observed a velocity gradient and a consistent galaxy alignment within the filament. These findings strongly suggest an accretion flow along the filament, potentially contributing to the formation and growth of the galaxies.
