Aurora supercomputer powers two of the largest cosmological simulations to date
Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory have completed two of the largest cosmological simulations ever performed, utilizing the powerful Aurora exascale supercomputer. These simulations modeled the evolution of 13.4 trillion dark matter particles across a region 28.6 billion light-years wide, providing valuable insights into the formation of cosmic structures.
The simulations, which required significant computing power and drew on 8,100 nodes and roughly 50,000 GPUs, were led by Argonne computational scientist Nicholas Frontiere. The project aims to shed light on the physics of cosmic inflation, a theory describing a brief burst of rapid expansion in the early universe. By studying the distribution of matter in the cosmos, scientists can search for clues that may reveal more about inflation and the early universe.
The simulations will aid the analysis of major sky surveys, such as the DOE-supported Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) and NASA's Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer (SPHEREx) mission, both of which are currently collecting data.
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