Lumina simulation recreates the first 2 billion years of the universe

Researchers from the Center for Astrophysics | Harvard and Smithsonian have developed Lumina, a massive radiation-hydrodynamic cosmological simulation. The model reconstructs the complex interactions between ordinary matter, dark matter, and radiation during the first 2 billion years following the Big Bang.

Utilizing the Frontier supercomputer, Lumina covers a cosmic volume of 1.5 billion light-years per side. The simulation tracks how ultraviolet light from the first stars and galaxies ionized hydrogen and helium, a process that transitioned the cosmos from an opaque state to one where light could travel freely. It also models the role of massive black holes and quasars in the reionization of helium.

The project, led by researcher Oliver Zier, serves as a critical tool for astronomers to compare theoretical predictions with real-world observations from the James Webb Space Telescope. This comparison helps address recent discrepancies where observed galaxies appeared more massive or numerous than previous models predicted.