UniverseMachine

The UniverseMachine (also known as the Universe Machine) is a project carrying out astrophysical
supercomputer simulations of various models of possible universes, created by astronomer Peter Behroozi
and his research team at the Steward Observatory and the University of Arizona.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Numerous universes with different physical characteristics may be simulated in order to develop insights
into the possible beginning and evolution of our universe. A major objective is to better understand the role
of dark matter in the development of the universe.[4][6] According to Behroozi, "On the computer, we can
create many different universes and compare them to the actual one, and that lets us infer which rules lead
to the one we see."[1]

Besides lead investigator Behroozi, research team members include astronomer Charlie Conroy of Harvard
University, physicist Andrew Hearin of the Argonne National Laboratory and physicist Risa Wechsler of
Stanford University. Support funding for the project is provided by NASA, the National Science
Foundation and the Munich Institute for Astro- and Particle Physics.[1]

Description
Besides using computers and related resources at the NASA Ames Research Center and the Leibniz-
Rechenzentrum in Garching, Germany, the research team used the High-Performance Computing cluster at
the University of Arizona. Two-thousand processors simultaneously processed the data over three weeks.
In this way, the research team generated over 8 million universes, and at least 9.6 × 1013 galaxies.[3][5] The
UniverseMachine program continuously produced millions of simulated universes, each containing 12
million galaxies, and each permitted to develop from 400 million years after the Big Bang to the present
day.[1][4]

According to team member Wechsler, "The really cool thing about this study is that we can use all the data
we have about galaxy evolution — the numbers of galaxies, how many stars they have and how they form
those stars — and put that together into a comprehensive picture of the last 13 billion years of the
universe."[4] Wechsler further commented, "For me, the most exciting thing is that we now have a model
where we can start to ask all of these questions in a framework that works […] We have a model that is
inexpensive enough computationally, that we can essentially calculate an entire universe in about a second.
Then we can afford to do that millions of times and explore all of the parameter space."[4]

Results
One of the results of the study suggests that denser dark matter in the early universe does not seem to
negatively impact star formation rates, as thought initially. According to the studies, galaxies of a given size
were more likely to form stars for much longer, and at a high rate.[6] The researchers expect to extend the
project's objectives to include how often stars expire in supernovae, how dark matter may affect the shape
of galaxies[6] and eventually, by gaining better general cosmological insights, how life originated.[5]

See also
Computational fluid dynamics – Analysis and solving of problems that involve fluid flows
 Computational simulation – Process of
mathematical modelling, performed on a
computer
Galaxy – Large gravitationally bound system
of stars and interstellar matter
Galaxy formation and evolution – From a
homogeneous beginning, the formation of the
first galaxies, the way galaxies change over
time
Illustris project – Computer-simulated
universes
Large-scale structure of the universe – All of
space observable from the Earth at the
present
Logo of the UniverseMachine.
List of cosmological computation software
Millennium Run – Computer simulation of the
universe
N-body simulation – Simulation of a
dynamical system of particles

References
1. Stolte, Daniel (9 August 2019). "Virtual 'Universe Machine' Sheds Light on Galaxy Evolution
- By creating millions of virtual universes and comparing them to observations of actual
galaxies, a UA-led research team has made discoveries that present a powerful new
approach for studying galaxy formation" (https://uanews.arizona.edu/story/virtual-universe-m
achine-sheds-light-galaxy-evolution). University of Arizona. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
2. Behroozi, Peter; et al. (3 September 2019). "UniverseMachine: The correlation between
galaxy growth and dark matter halo assembly from z = 0−10". Monthly Notices of the Royal
Astronomical Society. 488 (3): 3143–3194. arXiv:1806.07893 (https://arxiv.org/abs/1806.078
93). Bibcode:2019MNRAS.488.3143B (https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2019MNRAS.488.
3143B). doi:10.1093/mnras/stz1182 (https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fmnras%2Fstz1182).
S2CID 119385275 (https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:119385275).
3. University of Arizona (9 August 2019). "Virtual 'universe machine' sheds light on galaxy
evolution" (https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-08/uoa-vm080919.php). EurekAlert!.
Retrieved 22 August 2019.
4. Childers, Tim (22 August 2019). "Astronomers Create 8 Million Baby Universes Inside a
Computer and Watch Them Grow. Here's What They Learned. - What can simulating 8
million universes tell us about the history of our own universe?" (https://www.livescience.co
m/universe-machine-probes-dark-matter.html). LiveScience. Retrieved 22 August 2019.
5. Lea, Robert (10 August 2019). "Galactic Evolution Examined by 'Universe Machine'
Researchers have turned to a massive supercomputer — dubbed the 'UniverseMachine' —
to model the formation of stars and galaxies. In the process, they created a staggering 8
million 'virtual universes' with almost 10¹⁴ galaxies" (https://medium.com/@roblea_63049/gal
actic-evolution-examined-by-universe-machine-ec1ba2250e54). Medium. Retrieved
22 August 2019.
6. Whitman, Ryan (23 August 2019). "Scientists Use 'UniverseMachine' to Simulate 8 Million
Universes" (https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/297093-scientists-use-universemachine-t
o-simulate-8-million-universes). ExtremeTech. Retrieved 23 August 2019.
 7. Rabie, Passant (14 August 2019). "Scientists Create Millions of Virtual Universes to
Understand Cosmic History - Scientists created millions of universe replicas on a
supercomputer" (https://www.space.com/virtual-universe-machine-reveals-star-formation.htm
l). Space.com. Retrieved 24 August 2019.

External links
Official website (https://www.peterbehroozi.com/data.html)
Video (00:57) – "UniverseMachine – a virtual tour" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIfEx
FKTWKI) on YouTube
Video (86:49) – "Search for Life in the Universe" (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNjuz6
MO0eU) on YouTube – NASA (14 July 2014)
Universe Model using Artificial Intelligence (https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-0
8/kift-alt082819.php) (IPMU; 28 August 2019)

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