Using the information from the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and the Nancy Roman Space Telescope (NRST), the simulation is the most detailed yet.
Scientists at the Harvard & Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics have developed one of the largest and most detailed early universe simulations ever created.
Named “Lumina”, the model recreates the first 2bn years of the universe, including how ordinary matter, dark matter, and radiation interacted.
The model allows new theories to be tested
With this new simulation, scientists can now use it to test theories regarding how the cosmos evolved following the Big Bang, and whether their understanding of the fundamental laws of the universe are still accurate or if more information is needed.
These simulations and theories are also used to create predictions which will either further boost confidence in the theories or confirm that revisions are needed.
Lumina is the largest cosmological radiation-hydrodynamics simulation ever created, simulating how gas, dark matter, light, and the rest of the universe’s fundamental ingredients interact to create stars and galaxies.
It covers more than 100 times the volume of space that previous comparable simulations cover at roughly 1.5bn light-years on each side, and is the first to capture helium reionisation as it occurred, allowing its effects to have influence on the evolving universe within Lumina.
More than 15,000 graphics processing units were needed to generate Lumina via Frontier, one of the fastest supercomputers in the world, at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee.
Oliver Zier, lead author and ITC fellow at the Center for Astrophysics, said: “With JWST, the early universe has become an exciting new frontier in astrophysics. To understand what we are seeing with this telescope, we need to translate our theories into detailed predictions. After several years of work, with plenty of ups and downs, it is incredibly rewarding to see the simulation results and watch our predictions come to life in video.”
Aaron Smith, author and assistant professor of physics at the University of Texas at Dallas, added: “We feel incredibly fortunate to be building simulations like Lumina. For the first time, we can follow along as both hydrogen and helium changed into their modern form across such an enormous volume of the universe, while still resolving the galaxies and other luminous objects driving that transformation.”
The NRST was launched in August
The mission carrying the Nancy Roman Space Telescope was launched 30 August 2026 at 7:26 am EDT, with the intent to investigate some of astronomy’s biggest questions, including dark matter and dark energy by surveying a huge area of the sky using a wide field of view and infrared capabilities.
NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman hailed the programme as a monumental success: “Roman is exactly the kind of success story we want to see across NASA.
“Delivered ahead of schedule and on budget, this mission reflects more than a decade of dedication from the NASA workforce and our industry partners.
“Now, Roman will give us a new atlas of the Universe, push the boundaries of discovery, and demonstrate what is possible when America’s space program pairs bold ambition with disciplined execution.”
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