From CNN · Taylor Nicioli · · 1m 30s
New Simulation Reveals Early Universe's Cosmic Web
A new simulation shows how the first stars shaped the universe's cosmic web.
In brief
A new simulation shows how the first stars shaped the universe's cosmic web. Scientists used Lumina to model how early stars and black holes drove reionization, transforming the universe. Originally reported by CNN.
New Simulation of Early Universe
A team created one of the most detailed models yet of the early universe.
Lumina Simulation Details
Lumina re-creates how the first stars and black holes drove reionization, a pivotal phase that transformed the universe.
Reionization Process
Ultraviolet radiation from early stars stripped electrons from hydrogen atoms, allowing light to travel farther.
Lumina's Scale
Lumina spans a region 1.5 billion light-years across, covering 100 times more space than earlier simulations.
Simulation Creation
The simulation took nearly three years using 15,000 graphics processing units on Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Frontier supercomputer.
Lumina's Features
Lumina resolves individual galaxies while showing the cosmic web, allowing scientists to study matter movement.
Dark Matter and Ordinary Matter
Lumina tracks how ordinary matter and dark matter moved differently through space, creating cosmic patterns.
Scientific Reactions
Julian Muñoz called Lumina a technical achievement, noting it covers more space and runs longer than past simulations.
Future Applications
Lumina could help scientists study rare galaxies and test theories about the early universe's evolution.
What Happens Next
Scientists will compare Lumina with telescope observations to refine understanding of the early cosmos.
In short
Scientists used Lumina to model how early stars and black holes drove reionization, transforming the universe.
