Astronomers carry out biggest-ever supercomputer simulations of the universe

A team of international astronomers recently carried out the biggest-ever computer simulations to investigate how the Universe evolved. Such simulations will play a key role in interpreting the huge amounts of data that Dark Energy Survey Instrument, Euclid space telescope, Webb and other telescopes are collecting about galaxies, quasars and stars, by comparing theoretical predictions with observational data, the researchers said.

The FLAMINGO simulations, carried out on the Cosmology Machine supercomputer at Durham University over the past two years, calculated the evolution of all the Universe's components - from ordinary matter such as stars and planets to dark matter and dark energy.

While past simulations primarily focused on cold dark matter, which is believed to be a key component of the universe's structure, astronomers now believe that the effects of ordinary matter - which makes up only sixteen per cent of all matter in the Universe, and neutrinos - tiny particles that rarely interact with normal matter - also need to be taken into account when trying to understand the Universe's evolution, according to a release by Durham University.

The simulations were conducted at different resolutions and the team also altered other factors such as the strength of galactic winds and the mass of the neutrinos.

The first results showed that the inclusion of ordinary matter and neutrinos in the simulations was essential for making accurate predictions. As the simulations progress, virtual galaxies and galaxy clusters emerge in precise detail and the researchers are optimistic that the simulations will allow them to compare the virtual Universe with observations of the real one being captured by new high-powered telescopes like the powerful James Webb Space Telescope.

More details can be found here.