Numerical simulations in gravitation and astrophysics are computational techniques that solve the governing equations of gravitational dynamics—typically Einstein’s field equations of general relativity or the Newtonian/relativistic N-body problem—using discretization schemes such as finite difference, finite volume, spectral, or particle-based methods. They enable quantitative modeling of systems like compact-object binaries, gravitational-wave sources, stellar evolution, accretion flows, galaxy formation, and large-scale structure. These simulations incorporate additional physics (e.g., magnetohydrodynamics, radiation transport, nuclear microphysics) and employ high-performance computing, adaptive mesh refinement, and sophisticated time-integration algorithms to resolve multi-scale, nonlinear phenomena inaccessible to purely analytic approaches.
Astronomers have developed a computer simulation to explore, in unprecedented detail, magnetism and turbulence in the interstellar medium (ISM)—the vast ocean of gas and charged particles that lies between stars in the ...
Astronomy
May 13, 2025
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Black holes have been fascinating subjects of study, not just because they are cosmic vacuum cleaners, but also as engines of immense power capable of extracting and redistributing energy on a staggering scale. These dark ...
Astronomy
Feb 19, 2025
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Enabled by supercomputing, University of Pretoria (UP) researchers have led an international team of astronomers that has provided deeper insight into the entire life cycle (birth, growth and death) of giant radio galaxies, ...
Astronomy
Feb 11, 2025
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Astronomers have released a set of more than a million simulated images showcasing the cosmos as NASA's upcoming Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will see it. This preview will help scientists explore Roman's myriad science ...
Astronomy
Jan 14, 2025
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Neutron stars, the remnants of massive stars after a supernova explosion, have often been the focus of studies aimed at testing and unveiling exotic physics. This is because these stars are among the densest objects in the ...
Stars are born in clouds of gas and dust, making it difficult to observe their early development. But researchers at Chalmers have now succeeded in simulating how a star with the mass of the sun absorbs material from the ...
Astronomy
Jan 9, 2025
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Einstein's theory of gravity, general relativity, has passed all tests with predictions that are spot-on. One prediction that remains is "gravitational wave memory"—the prediction that a passing gravitational wave will ...
When a star dies in a supernova, one possible outcome is for the remains to become a neutron star. Inside a neutron star, the protons and electrons combine into uncharged neutrons. This substance is called neutron matter.
General Physics
Nov 27, 2024
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The universe just got a whole lot bigger—or at least in the world of computer simulations, that is. In early November, researchers at the Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory used the fastest supercomputer ...
Astronomy
Nov 25, 2024
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Researchers at Yunnan Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences simulated the evolution of massive stars with masses ranging from 50 to 150 solar masses during the nitrogen sequence Wolf-Rayet (WNL) star phase.
Astronomy
Nov 21, 2024
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