Incredible simulation charts the Milky Way 10,000 years

"Scientists from Japan's RIKEN research centre have created the most detailed simulation of the Milky Way ever made. The incredible galactic map charts more than 100 billion individual stars over the course of 10,000 years. Researchers use simulations like these to test theories about how the galaxy formed and changed over time. However, this is the very first 'star-by-star' simulation of our home galaxy to chart the evolution of the cosmos with such stunning detail."

"Even the best cutting-edge computer models struggle to accurately simulate complex movements of 100 billion stars in the Milky Way. This is because the galaxy is shaped by forces on both the enormously large and extremely small scales of distance and time. Galaxy simulations must consider gravity, fluid dynamics, supernova explosions, and the creation of elements in the hearts of dying stars. Now, by using AI, the researchers say they can make simulations that track 100 times as many stars."

"For that, astronomers are now trying to create powerful computer simulations that work out how stars would move and evolve based on what we know about the laws of physics. By changing the rules of the simulation and comparing the results to the universe around us, scientists can learn more about how our galaxy came to be. The problem is that the Milky Way is enormously vast and incredibly complex, making it far too difficult for any normal computer to simulate."

Scientists from Japan's RIKEN research centre created the most detailed simulation of the Milky Way to date, charting more than 100 billion individual stars spanning 10,000 years. The simulation operates star-by-star, allowing testing of formation and evolutionary theories. Traditional simulations struggle because the galaxy is shaped by forces across vast and tiny scales, requiring gravity, fluid dynamics, supernova modeling, and nucleosynthesis. AI techniques enable scaling to track roughly 100 times more stars, overcoming computational limits and improving the ability to reproduce galactic evolution.

Read at Mail Online