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What did the early universe look like?
Advances in computing could help astronomers turn back the cosmic clock. Earlier this year, Japanese astronomers ATERUI IIA supercomputer that specializes in astronomy simulations to reconstruct what the universe looked like as early as the Big Bang.
ATERUI II helps researchers research cosmic inflation— the theory that the early universe expanded exponentially from one moment to the next. Astronomers agree that this expansion will leave extreme variations in the density of matter that will affect both the distribution of galaxies and the way they evolve.
The project requires a large amount of data storage (approximately 10 terabytes, equivalent to 22,000 episodes of Game of Thrones)
By comparing 4,000 simulations of the early universe – all with different density fluctuations – to the real thing, scientists can turn back time and ask why some places in the universe are teeming with cosmic activity while others are barren.
Masato Shirasaki An assistant professor at Japan’s National Astronomical Observatory says it would be nearly impossible to answer this question without these simulations. The project requires a large amount of data storage (about 10 terabytes, 22,000 episodes game of Thrones).
Shirasaki’s team developed a model of how the universe evolved and applied it to each of the simulations to see which outcome might be closest to what it looks like today. This method made it easy to explore the physics of cosmic inflation.
Over the next few years, Shirasaki’s methods may help shorten the observation time required for future efforts. SPHERICAL, A two-year mission planned for 2024 includes a spacecraft that will orbit the Earth and gaze at nearly 300 million galaxies in the sky. With these leaps in computing, our understanding of the universe is expanding little by little.
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