Numerical Cosmology: Building the Universe on a Computer
Romeel Dave (Arizona)
Rapidly advancing surveys of galaxies and intergalactic gas across
cosmic time are strenuously challenging theoretical models for
explaining the evolution of visible matter in the Universe. Numerical
cosmologists are attempting to meet this challenge by using powerful
supercomputers to model the cosmos, and everything in it, from the Big
Bang until today. This approach has yielded many insights and
successes, but some quite basic properties of galaxies remain poorly
understood. The key missing ingredient is a detailed understanding of
how galaxies and intergalactic gas are connected in a sort of cosmic
ecosystem within which galaxies grow and evolve.
