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Astronomers are embarking on the largest project of its kind to date with the FLAMINGO simulations. These simulations aim to shed light on the origins of the Universe by conducting computer simulations of its entire structure. The FLAMINGO simulations, which stands for Full-hydro Large-scale structure simulations with All-sky Mapping for the Interpretation of Next Generation Observations, are being carried out on a supercomputer at the DiRAC facility in the UK.

These simulations are designed to track the evolution of all the known components of the Universe. This includes normal matter, such as stars and galaxies, as well as dark matter and dark energy. The simulations are incredibly complex, with the largest one consisting of 300 billion particles that represent the mass of a small galaxy. This simulation occupies a cubic volume of space with edges measuring 10 billion light-years. To handle the computational workload, astronomers developed a new code called SWIFT, which distributes the work across 30,000 CPUs.

The initial results of the FLAMINGO simulations have been published in three papers. The third paper aims to address a major challenge known as the sigma 8 or S8 tension. This tension arises from a measurement of the cosmic microwave background radiation, which suggests that the Universe should have clumped together more than it has.

The researchers of the FLAMINGO simulations are hoping to provide some answers to this tension. So far, the simulations have revealed that both normal matter and neutrinos are necessary for accurate predictions. The contribution of ordinary matter, in addition to dark matter, cannot be neglected as it could account for the deviations between the current models and observations. However, including normal matter in simulations is more challenging due to its interactions with pressure, radiation, and galactic winds, which are difficult to model.

Although the FLAMINGO simulations have not yet resolved the S8 tension, they have made progress in understanding the formation of the structure of the Universe across different components. The impact of galactic winds in the simulations was calibrated using machine learning techniques to compare the predictions with observed masses of galaxies and the distribution of gas in clusters.

The FLAMINGO data, which is several petabytes in size, has not been made available to the public. However, those interested can reach out to the corresponding author for further inquiries. The research conducted in these simulations has been published in the Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.

Definitions:
– FLAMINGO simulations: Full-hydro Large-scale structure simulations with All-sky Mapping for the Interpretation of Next Generation Observations.
– Cosmic microwave background radiation: Faint microwave radiation that fills the Universe from the epoch just after the Big Bang.
– Sigma 8 or S8 tension: A challenge regarding the clumping of matter in the Universe based on measurements of the cosmic microwave background. By now, the Universe should have clumped together more than observed.

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