COLIBRE: A simulation so accurate that astronomers would look twice

Five nested simulation volumes spanning a travel range of 25 to 400 megaparsecs. Color-coded by surface density of gas and stars. © Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society

For decades, computer models of galaxy formation have relied on an important shortcut: preventing the simulated gas inside galaxies from cooling below ca. 10,000 degrees Fahrenheit, hotter than the surface of the sun. Modeling colder gases requires tracking much more complex physics and chemistry, so a workaround was needed. But cold gas is exactly where … Read more

See and hear evolving galaxies in a new simulation

See and hear galaxies: The image on the left is a white 3D web with a concentration of purple. On the right are two galaxies.

Watch and hear how galaxies evolve in these new simulations. Video via Royal Astronomical Society. A new simulation allows scientists to see and hear the evolution of galaxies. COLIBRE simulations track the growth of the universe from its earliest days to today in unprecedented detail. By including cold gas and cosmic dust – Star raw … Read more