Computers are truly amazing and powerful, but only when programmed by skilled minds. Check this out…there is an algorithm that mimics the growth of slime mold, and a team of researchers has adapted it to model the large-scale structure of the universe.
Since then, big bangAs the universe continues to expand, gravity is concentrating matter into galaxies and clusters of galaxies. Between the galaxies and clusters of galaxies are vast pockets of space called voids. This structure is often referred to as the cosmic web.
The cosmic web is the largest structure in the universe, consisting of galactic filaments and Dark matter Filaments extend into the depths of space, connecting galaxy clusters across vast voids.
The spider web-like structure formed as a result of gravity pulling matter together since the dawn of time. Studying the cosmic spider web can shed light on the evolution of the universe, the distribution of matter, and its relationship with dark matter.
Since the early 80s, it has been known that the nature of a galaxy and the properties of its environment affect how it grows and evolves. The exact nature of this and how it happens is still a subject of much debate. A team of researchers believes they may have demonstrated how galaxies evolve using the slime algorithm.
A team led by Farhanul Hasan, Professor Joe Burchett and eight co-authors published their findings.Slime mold cosmic web filaments and their impact on galactic evolution‘ in the Astrophysical Journal in August, which reports how the Mold algorithm could help unlock the mysteries of the universe.
Burchett suggested that the slime mold algorithm could be used for astrophysics applications, and Hasan worked with Burchett to modify the algorithm so that it could be used to visualize the web of the universe. To use the slime mold algorithm, the team worked with Oscar Elek, a graphics rendering expert.
The mold’s algorithm was designed to mimic slime mold, which can find its own food by tailoring itself into a web-like structure in space. It took the team several years to complete the work.
The result, Hasan says, was a much more detailed discrete structure than previous methods could provide. “We didn’t know how well it would or wouldn’t work, but we had a hunch that the slime mold method might provide us with more detailed information about the density structure of the universe, so we decided to give it a try,” he adds.
In conclusion, Hasan and team found that the influence on galaxies appears to have made a so-called U-turn: in earlier epochs, galaxy growth was stimulated by proximity to larger structures. In the near universe, or cosmologically recent epoch, we find that galaxy growth is limited by its proximity to larger structures.
This wouldn’t have been possible without a modified slime mold algorithm, which allows us to map the surrounding gas in the real universe across different eras, helping us understand how the web has changed and how the universe evolved.
This article is The Universe Today.Please read Original article.
