[DSRP Evidence](https://dsrpevidence.org/)

# The correlation between voids identified in 3D large-scale structure and 2D weak-lensing maps

Fang et al., 2026, Astronomy & Astrophysics — Astronomy

Patterns: [Distinctions](https://dsrpevidence.org/pattern/distinctions), [Perspectives](https://dsrpevidence.org/pattern/perspectives)

## In short

The same cosmic voids are identified across two observational perspectives—2D weak-lensing maps and direct 3D reconstruction—showing that changing perspective changes what is observed without changing the underlying structure, independently instantiating Perspective and Distinction.

## What they found (results)

Using 108 full-sky weak-lensing simulations matched to Dark Energy Survey Year 3 parameters, the authors found a statistically significant (S/N ≳ 25) positive correlation between voids identified independently in 2D weak-lensing maps and in the 3D halo distribution at low redshift.

## Abstract

Cosmic voids identified in weak-lensing (WL) convergence maps provide a projected probe of underdense regions in the matter distribution. However, the physical connection between these WL voids and voids defined in the 3D large-scale structure remains unclear. We investigate the correspondence between voids identified in the 3D halo distribution and those detected in WL convergence maps. We used 108 realizations of the full-sky lensing simulations, populated with a source galaxy redshift distribution consistent with the Dark Energy Survey Year 3 sample. Catalogs of 3D halo voids and WL voids were constructed using the VIDE and tunnel algorithms, respectively. The spatial association between the two populations was quantified by measuring the angular excess number density of halo voids around WL void centers. We detected a statistically significant (S/N ≳ 25) positive correlation between WL voids and low-redshift halo voids (0 < z_ hv < 0.5) at small angular separations, indicating that WL voids trace genuine underdensities in the large-scale matter distribution. The correlation amplitude closely depends on the WL void selection scheme and decreases when stringent peak-amplitude thresholds are applied, thereby reducing the number of detected WL voids and broadening their effective sizes. The signal also displays a strong redshift dependence: halo voids at higher redshift exhibit weaker correlations because of the declining efficiency of the WL kernel, while WL voids identified from higher-redshift source bins produce stronger correlations due to the increased contribution from line-of-sight structures. We additionally examined the impact of halo-void morphology and found that rounder voids with a weaker alignment along the line of sight display marginally stronger associations with WL voids. Our results provide new insights into the contribution of 3D structure to WL-selected underdensities and offer guidance for future observational analyses seeking to interpret WL voids as tracers of the matter field.

These researchers were not testing DSRP. The finding is theirs; the correspondence to DSRP is drawn by this site.

[Source](https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/202659945)