Are we dwelling in a simulation? Effectively, the jury’s out on that one. However people do create simulations on a regular basis.
In actual fact, the Euclid Consortium, the worldwide group managing the European Area Company’s Euclid space telescope, simply revealed the world’s most intensive simulation of the universe. It maps an astonishing 3.4 billion galaxies and tracks the gravitational interactions of greater than 4 trillion particles.
Called Flagship 2, the simulation draws from an algorithm designed by astrophysicist Joachim Stadel of the University of Zurich (UZH). In 2019, Stadel used the supercomputer Piz Daint — then the third most powerful supercomputer in the world — to run the calculation, ultimately creating an exceptionally detailed virtual model of the universe.
“These simulations are essential for making ready the evaluation of Euclid’s information,” astrophysicist Julian Adamek of UZH, a collaborator on the challenge, stated in a statement.
Since 2023, the Euclid house telescope has been mapping billions of galaxies throughout the universe, finding out the distribution of darkish power and dark matter. The spacecraft will finally scan about one-third of the night sky. Given the dimensions of the challenge, Euclid produces huge portions of knowledge — and simulations like Flagship 2 assist velocity up processing occasions.
Whereas the workforce anticipates that Euclid’s observations will intently match predictions from the simulation, there are possible surprises in retailer. Flagship 2 runs on the standard cosmological model, which is what we at the moment know concerning the universe’s composition. However missions like Euclid are designed to problem our present data. “We already see indications of cracks in the usual mannequin,” Stadel stated.
The workforce is especially excited to review the thriller of dark energy, the pressure driving the growth of the universe. Because it stands in the usual cosmological mannequin, darkish power is solely a continuing. However Euclid’s observations — which can look as much as 10 billion years prior to now — would possibly reveal completely different traits. “We will see how the universe expanded at the moment and measure whether or not this fixed actually remained fixed,” stated Adamek.
Euclid’s first observational information was launched in March 2025, with the subsequent publication of knowledge units scheduled for spring 2026.
