This Supercomputer Helps Us See Millions Of Virtual Universes

It is not easy to understand the development of galaxies when the latest illustrations for it could be traced back to billions of years ago. As such, the best way is to simulate as many universes as possible. As for researchers at the University of Arizona, the supercomputer named Ocelote is considered a "UniverseMachine" as it can produce millions of miniature universes to help us assess which one would match most with the real universe.

Instead of trying to demonstrate all aspects of the entire universe, which requires superior computer functions to accurately model the universe, now the team has developed a system of moderate resolution to enlarge the scale from supernovae to extraordinarily large spaces. Accordingly, each virtual universe is separated in terms of sets of rules and characteristics and the only matter behind is to observe which universe simulations match the most with real data.

Within “just” three weeks, the team has created roughly 8 million of simulated universes for research.

This method gives researchers many benefits, including deep understanding of the evolution of the galaxy, as well as reconsider and challenge existing principles. For example, stars might be created in the galaxy much longer than the long-lived thinking of a human. Along with that, star formation based on an existing model may have ended a long time ago, or dark matters might not have much intense reaction to that formation in the early days of the universe.

With the presence of this invention, not all previous knowledge was outdated. Data gaps and more room for sophisticated details will be improved when computer performance is enhanced. However, this is still considered as powerful assistance for science, which took decades or centuries before computers could provide such useful improvements for research.

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