University of California High-Performance AstroComputing Center

Why sibling stars look alike: Early, fast mixing in star-birth clouds

Astronomers used computational simulations to show that rapid mixing in cloud formation creates uniform chemical composition among born stars, supporting the idea of 'chemical tagging' and potential discovery of Sun's siblings. The study also found that even clouds without many stars produce similar abundances.

SourceUniversity of California High-Performance AstroComputing Center·JournalNature·DateAug 31, 2014

Announcing project agora: Ambitious comparison of computer simulations of galaxy evolution

The AGORA project aims to resolve inconsistencies in supercomputer simulations of galaxy evolution by comparing results from different codes and processes. By applying the principle of reproducibility, researchers hope to identify key physics ingredients that produce realistic galaxies.

SourceUniversity of California High-Performance AstroComputing Center·JournalThe Astrophysical Journal·DateDec 10, 2013

Disk galaxies formed gradually, astronomers find from images, computer simulations, and spectra

New observations of distant galaxies reveal that internal motions were more disordered in the past, and the Hubble sequence of well-ordered disk galaxies evolved from earlier chaotic forms. This challenges the long-held assumption about disk galaxy formation, finding they evolved gradually over 8 billion years.

SourceUniversity of California High-Performance AstroComputing Center·DateOct 19, 2012