Supercomputer Models Life-Like Universe

Could only create galactic blobs before, can now simulate a more realistic formation process

Building a universe from scratch that brims with galaxies resembling those around us is now possible on supercomputers for the first time, researchers say.

Our galaxy, the Milky Way, is a spiral galaxy with a broad disk and outstretched arms, as are many in our cosmic neighborhood, such as Andromeda, the Pinwheel and the Whirlpool galaxies. Spiral galaxies are common, but past computer models that aimed to accurately simulate the birth andevolution of the universe over billions of years had trouble creating them. Instead, they often generated lots of blobby galaxies clumped into balls.