Caption: A composite image of Lumina’s scales of simulation, depicting (from left to right) the streaming velocities of subatomic particles and dark matter in the beginning of simulation; gas structures during helium reionization, color-coded by how
Researchers at MIT and Harvard University have built a groundbreaking computer program that essentially simulates a cosmic time machine, capable of showing viewers the universe during its first 2 billion years.
Lumina
Dig deeper:
The program, dubbed Lumina, allows researchers to take a peak at the early universe with pristine imagery.
Lumina is about 100 times bigger and 30 times sharper than older models and showcases how the first stars and galaxies lit up the universe.
What they’re saying:
"Lumina does everything from small-scale star and galaxy formation to large-scale re-ionization of hydrogen and helium, in a volume that is 100 times larger than previous best simulations," study author Mark Vogelsberger, a professor of physics at MIT, said in a news release.
Supercomputers power Lumina
Scientists used Frontier, one of the fastest supercomputers in the world, linking together more than 100,000 computer processors and 15,000 graphics chips to run the simulation.
This supercomputer tracked half a trillion tiny pieces of gas, dark matter, and light, letting researchers zoom out to see huge chunks of space or zoom in on a single growing galaxy.
What's next:
The team has shared Lumina with astronomers all around the world so they can study it.
Now, researchers can match the computer's predictions with real pictures taken by modern space telescopes.
By comparing the two, scientists hope to solve some of the biggest remaining mysteries about how our universe was born.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from an MIT news release. This story was reported from San Jose.