In a significant advancement for astronomical research, the Euclid Consortium has unveiled the Flagship 2 galaxy mock, the largest synthetic simulation of the Universe to date. This vast simulation encompasses an astonishing 3.4 billion galaxies, each characterized by 400 different properties, including aspects like brightness, position, velocity, and shape. The primary aim of this colossal simulation is to aid scientists in deciphering and analyzing the extensive datasets produced by the Euclid space telescope, which the European Space Agency (ESA) launched into space in June 2023. With unprecedented resolution capabilities, Euclid is set to transform our understanding of the cosmos.
The intricate simulation was developed using an algorithm by Joachim Stadel, an esteemed astrophysicist at the University of Zurich (UZH). The monumental calculations required for this project were completed in 2019 on Piz Daint, the supercomputer at the Swiss National Supercomputing Centre (CSCS) in Lugano. At that time, Piz Daint ranked as the third most powerful supercomputer globally, and over 80% of its resources were devoted to this project. Stadel describes the endeavor as a formidable challenge due to the sheer scale and resolution required to simulate such an extensive portion of the Universe within a single computational effort.
This ambitious project represents a leap forward in how scientists can simulate and study the Universe, providing them with an invaluable tool to interpret data gathered from Euclid’s missions. The simulation stands as a testament to the strides being made in computational astrophysics and the endless possibilities it presents for unraveling the mysteries of the cosmos.