Creating Galaxies in a Virtual Universe
Lead Research Organisation:
Durham University
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
Imagine being able to create a virtual the Universe, complete with
realistic galaxies and quasars, inside a computer. The EAGLE project
aims to do exactly this. The first phase of the project make a
ground-breaking step, creating a virtual Universe in which the masses
and sizes of the galaxies formed compared well with observations. This
creates a 'laboratory' with which we can experiment with galaxy
formation, quantifying the roles of the physical processes such as gas
cooling, metal enrichment and feedback from stars and black holes. The
current EAGLE simulations are, however, limited in two
respects. Firstly the simulations only marginally resolve galaxies,
making it hard to reliably study the internal structure of the
galaxies (such as their Hubble-type and morphology). Secondly the
simulations have relatively small volume, sufficient to understand the
average properties of galaxies, but not to understand the diversity of
the galaxy population. A larger volume simulation would also break new
ground in using galaxies to test theoretical models for the growth of
cosmic structure and to search for deviations from Einstein gravity.
In this project, the student will join the Eagle team in advancing to
the next level of realism and volume.
realistic galaxies and quasars, inside a computer. The EAGLE project
aims to do exactly this. The first phase of the project make a
ground-breaking step, creating a virtual Universe in which the masses
and sizes of the galaxies formed compared well with observations. This
creates a 'laboratory' with which we can experiment with galaxy
formation, quantifying the roles of the physical processes such as gas
cooling, metal enrichment and feedback from stars and black holes. The
current EAGLE simulations are, however, limited in two
respects. Firstly the simulations only marginally resolve galaxies,
making it hard to reliably study the internal structure of the
galaxies (such as their Hubble-type and morphology). Secondly the
simulations have relatively small volume, sufficient to understand the
average properties of galaxies, but not to understand the diversity of
the galaxy population. A larger volume simulation would also break new
ground in using galaxies to test theoretical models for the growth of
cosmic structure and to search for deviations from Einstein gravity.
In this project, the student will join the Eagle team in advancing to
the next level of realism and volume.
People |
ORCID iD |
Richard Bower (Primary Supervisor) | |
Joshua Borrow (Student) |
Publications
Borrow Josh
(2018)
SWIFT: Maintaining weak-scalability with a dynamic range of $10^4$ in time-step size to harness extreme adaptivity
in arXiv e-prints
Borrow J
(2020)
Cosmological baryon transfer in the simba simulations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Studentship Projects
Project Reference | Relationship | Related To | Start | End | Student Name |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
ST/R504725/1 | 30/09/2017 | 29/09/2021 | |||
1888107 | Studentship | ST/R504725/1 | 30/09/2017 | 29/06/2021 | Joshua Borrow |
ST/P006744/1 | 30/09/2017 | 29/09/2024 | |||
1888107 | Studentship | ST/P006744/1 | 30/09/2017 | 29/06/2021 | Joshua Borrow |
Description | HPC-Europa3 Transnational Access |
Amount | € 2,688 (EUR) |
Funding ID | 730897 |
Organisation | European Commission H2020 |
Sector | Public |
Country | Belgium |
Start | 03/2020 |
End | 05/2020 |
Description | Inter-Lagrangian Transfer |
Organisation | Royal Observatory Edinburgh |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | I am the lead author on this work. |
Collaborator Contribution | Co-authors on work |
Impact | Collaboration around the SIMBA simulation suite. Lead to the publication of 10.1093/mnras/stz3428. |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Inter-Lagrangian Transfer |
Organisation | Simons Foundation |
Country | United States |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | I am the lead author on this work. |
Collaborator Contribution | Co-authors on work |
Impact | Collaboration around the SIMBA simulation suite. Lead to the publication of 10.1093/mnras/stz3428. |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Pint of Science Durham 2019 |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Pint of Science Durham 2019. Held 6 total events over 3 days, each engaging with 20-25 people depending on attendance. Audience was general public listening to 2x30m talks in a pub. Audience enjoyed. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2019 |
URL | http://pintofscience.org |
Description | School Visit |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | 20-25 pupils from year 2 class visited Durham's physics department each year. They recieved a tour of our outreach exhibits, supercomputer room, and planetarium. Visits were greatly enjoyed by students, including some saying it was the best school trip they have ever been on. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018,2019,2020 |