Largest-ever computer simulation of the universe escalates cosmology dilemma.
A new computer simulation of the universe, the largest and most detailed ever created, has escalated a major discrepancy in cosmology called the "S8 tension." This debate is over how matter in the cosmos is distributed.
The simulation, called FLAMINGO, was created by an international team of scientists using the Summit supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. It models a cubic volume of the universe that is 1 billion light-years across, and it tracks the evolution of all elements of the universe - ordinary matter, dark matter, and dark energy - over 13.8 billion years.
FLAMINGO's findings confirm the existence of the S8 tension. The simulation shows that the universe contains less matter than is predicted by other cosmological observations, such as the cosmic microwave background (CMB) and measurements of large-scale structures.
"We're seeing a clear discrepancy between the amount of matter that we see in the universe and the amount of matter that we infer is there from other measurements," said Dr. Katrin Heitmann, a cosmologist at the Argonne National Laboratory and one of the lead authors of the FLAMINGO study.
This discrepancy is a major puzzle for cosmologists. It could mean that there is something wrong with our current understanding of the universe, or that there is some new and unknown form of matter or energy that is playing a role in its evolution.
"FLAMINGO is a major breakthrough in cosmological simulations," said Dr. Michael Norman, a cosmologist at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and another lead author of the study. "It is the first simulation to be large enough and detailed enough to resolve the S8 tension."
The FLAMINGO simulation is also the first to model the cosmic web, the largest structure in the universe. The cosmic web is a network of filaments made up of both normal matter, or baryonic matter, and dark matter.
"The cosmic web is essential for understanding how galaxies form and evolve," said Dr. Norman. "FLAMINGO is the first simulation to show how the cosmic web evolves over time."
The FLAMINGO simulation is a major step forward in our understanding of the universe. It has helped to confirm the existence of the S8 tension, and it has provided new insights into the evolution of the cosmic web.
The FLAMINGO study was published in the journal Nature on October 25, 2023.
Implications of the FLAMINGO simulation
The FLAMINGO simulation has a number of important implications for our understanding of the universe. First, it confirms the existence of the S8 tension, which is a major puzzle for cosmologists. Second, it provides new insights into the evolution of the cosmic web, which is the largest structure in the universe. Third, it suggests that our current understanding of the universe may be incomplete, and that there may be new and unknown forms of matter or energy that are playing a role in its evolution.
The FLAMINGO simulation is still in its early stages, and the scientists who created it are continuing to analyze its data. However, the simulation has already provided a wealth of new information about the universe, and it is likely to have a major impact on our understanding of cosmology in the years to come.