University of Waterloo
200 University Avenue West
Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2L 3G1
Phone: (519) 888-4567 ext 32215
Fax: (519) 746-8115
This week's Phys 10 Undergraduate Seminar series features Kyle Oman
Numerical simulations are used in astronomy to model a wide range of physical scales, from small stellar systems to the largest cosmological volumes feasible with modern computers. Cosmological simulations are a particularly challenging problem because we wish to model both gravity, which acts across very large distances, and other interactions such as gas flows, star formation or cooling which are much more localized. I will give an outline of the problems that simulations aim to solve. I will then discuss some of the methods used to simulate gravity and baryon physics in modern codes. Finally, I will show some (visually impressive) examples of state-of-the-art simulations and their applications.
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is centralized within our Office of Indigenous Relations.