Supercomputer creates largest universe simulation to explore dark matter and cosmic structure

Researchers have used the Frontier supercomputer to create the largest simulation of the universe, focusing on both atomic and dark matter. This simulation allows for a more detailed understanding of the universe's structure and evolution. Frontier, capable of performing a quintillion calculations per second, simulates complex astrophysical processes, including gravity, star formation, and galaxy dynamics. This marks a significant advancement in cosmological simulations, previously limited to simpler models. Although Frontier was the fastest supercomputer when the results were announced, it has since been surpassed by El Capitan, which can perform even more calculations. The simulation results were made possible by updates to existing software as part of a major computing project.