Simulation reveals how early universe formed in first 2 billion years

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 26 Oct, 14:19 · Archive

A new simulation called Lumina shows how galaxies formed in the universe's first two billion years after the Big Bang.

Astronomers have constructed Lumina, a new simulation showing how the universe evolved in its first two billion years after the Big Bang. The model, developed by the Center for Astrophysics through collaboration between the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory and Harvard College Observatory, depicts a cube of space 1.5 billion light-years across as the universe appeared when it was 1.5 billion years old.

The simulation traces how fine filaments of dark matter and luminous gas wove together with light and fast-moving gases to form the earliest cosmic structures. Researchers used over 15,000 graphics processing units on Frontier, one of the world's fastest supercomputers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee, to generate the unprecedented detail.

Dr Aaron Smith, a physicist from the University of Texas at Dallas and co-author of the research published in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, said: 'For the first time, we can follow along as both hydrogen and helium changed into their modern form across such an enormous volume of the universe, while still resolving the galaxies and other luminous objects driving that transformation.' The new simulation covers over 100 times the volume of previous models while showing the formation of individual galaxies and black holes.

How it is being reported

• First 2 billion years of universe’s existence revealed in mind-blowing simulation: ‘Exciting new frontier’They're bringing the Big Bang Theory to life.New York Post · 26 Oct, 14:02
• See the early universe like NEVER before: Incredible simulation reveals exactly what happened in the first 2 billion years of our historyAn incredible simulation has revealed the earliest moments of our universe as they have never been seen beforeDaily Mail · 26 Oct, 00:01

In this story: Lumina · Center for Astrophysics · Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory · Harvard College Observatory · Dr Aaron Smith · University of Texas at Dallas · Oak Ridge National Laboratory

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