European scientists have introduced FLAMINGO, an extensive supercomputer simulation focused on examining the universe’s evolution, spanning from the Big Bang to the current era. FLAMINGO comprehensively models all universal components, encompassing dark matter, ordinary matter, and dark energy, following the laws of physics.
“FLAMINGO” permits comparison of virtual universe with real world
The acronym “FLAMINGO” stands for “Full-hydro Large-scale structure simulations with All-sky Mapping for the Interpretation of Next Generation Observations.”
A collaborative project involving experts from Durham University, Liverpool John Moores University, and Leiden University in the Netherlands has created a significant simulation. Its main purpose is to allow scientists to compare the virtual universe with real observations from advanced telescopes, such as the James Webb Space Telescope, to assess the alignment between current cosmological models and actual observations.
Historically, simulations have focused on cold dark matter in conjunction with universe observations as a fundamental cosmic structure element. However, there is a growing emphasis on considering ordinary matter (making up just 16% of the universe’s total matter) and neutrinos (elusive particles with minimal interaction with ordinary matter) in understanding cosmic evolution.
According to Professor Joop Schaye from Leiden University, while dark matter dominates gravity, the contribution of ordinary matter can no longer be overlooked, as it could account for deviations between models and observations.
FLAMINGO simulation mapped the universe’s formation
The FLAMINGO simulation accurately mapped the universe’s formation, including dark matter, ordinary matter, and neutrinos, using standard physics principles. They ran simulations for two years on a powerful supercomputer in Durham, adjusting parameters like galactic wind and neutrino mass. The initial results emphasize the importance of considering ordinary matter and neutrinos for accurate predictions.
Emerging telescopes, such as the European Space Agency’s Euclid, are gathering vast data on galaxies, quasars, and stars. Simulations like FLAMINGO will play a crucial role in interpreting this data and aligning theoretical projections with observational findings.
The FLAMINGO simulations required more than 50 million processing hours on the COSMA 8 supercomputer, and researchers developed a new code called SWIFT to efficiently distribute computational tasks across thousands of CPUs, with peaks reaching 65,000.
