The fundamental question revolving around the origin and evolution of the entire universe focuses from the celestial bodies to the vast cosmos itself. Astronomers are embarking on a monumental project, employing computer simulations to seek answers to this profound inquiry.
What FLAMINGO Simulations Do
In a bid to decipher how the universe, including planets, stars, black holes, and cosmic clusters, emerged from a seemingly inconceivable void billions of years ago, astronomers embarked on an ambitious undertaking to unravel the mysteries of cosmic existence.
The Full-hydro Large-scale structure simulations with All-sky Mapping for the Interpretation of Next Generation Observations (FLAMINGO), are conducted on a supercomputer at the DiRAC facility in the UK.
These simulations are highly complex, aimed at modeling the evolution of all known components of the Universe, encompassing normal matter like stars and galaxies, dark matter with its mysterious gravitational effects, and dark energy, the enigmatic force behind the Universe's expansion.
The most extensive of these simulations involve a staggering 300 billion particles, each possessing the mass of a small galaxy, within a cubic space spanning 10 billion light-years in width.
To facilitate this simulation, Leiden University astronomer Matthieu Schaller explained in the news release that a novel code called SWIFT was developed, efficiently distributing computational tasks across 30 thousand CPUs.
Initial findings from the project have been detailed in three papers. The first paper outlines the methodology, the second presents the simulation outcomes, and the third delves into the large-scale structure of the Universe within the framework of cold dark matter.
Of particular interest in the third paper is the "sigma 8," or S8 tension, related to measurements of the cosmic microwave background. This tension poses a significant challenge to the prevailing cold dark matter model, which predicts a more pronounced clumping of matter than observations suggest.
Although FLAMINGO has not yet resolved this tension, its work emphasizes the significance of including both normal matter and neutrinos in making precise predictions.
According to Joop Schaye, the lead researcher and astronomer from Leiden University, ordinary matter's contribution, alongside dark matter, cannot be underestimated, as it might account for discrepancies between models and observations.
The S8 Tension and Insights from FLAMINGO Simulations
Ian McCarthy, a theoretical astrophysicist, underlines the intrigue surrounding the S8 tension. Using FLAMINGO simulations, they constructed a comprehensive virtual cosmic map to identify measurement errors.
As conventional explanations, such as observational uncertainties in large-scale structures or cosmic microwave background issues, are ruled out, a stronger influence of normal matter or unique properties of dark matter not accounted for in the standard model is considered.
These possibilities have profound implications for physics and cosmology, possibly signaling a breakdown of the standard gravity theory on cosmic scales.
The perplexing element of the S8 tension lies in the universe's behavior. It appears less clumped than expected by the standard model at low redshifts, while measurements between the cosmic microwave background and low-redshift observations align with standard model predictions.
This suggests the universe adhered to expected behavior for much of its history but underwent a transformation at a later cosmic epoch. To resolve the S8 tension, researchers must uncover the driving force behind this change, presenting a unique challenge and an opportunity to advance our cosmic understanding. These findings are detailed in three papers published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
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