SIDUN

Simulating the Dark Universe

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'One of the most challenging tasks for theoretical and observational cosmology in the next decade will be to understand the fundamental nature and properties of Dark Energy and Dark Matter. To this end, several ambitious observational programs are presently ongoing or have been planned for the near future, with the aim to reach unprecedented accuracy in the investigation of the dark sector of the Universe. The large wealth of high-quality data expected from these wide surveys will however require equally reliable and accurate theoretical predictions for different and competing cosmological scenarios in order to exploit at best their potential discriminating power. Such predictions often need to rely on large numerical simulations of structure formation which require sophisticated algorithms and the use of large supercomputing systems. However, while suitable simulation techniques have now been firmly established for the standard cosmological model, new algorithms and new simulations are needed in order to provide a comparable set of predictions for a significant number of alternative and competing scenarios. The present proposed research program aims at developing suitable numerical codes and perform large simulations for a wide range of non-standard cosmological models, ranging from dynamical Dark Energy scenarios, to Modified Gravity Theories, to alternative Dark Matter particle candidates or different types of primordial non-Gaussianity. Without such effort the discriminating power of any observational enterprise would not be exploited at best and might fail to shed light on the Dark Universe. The present proposed research plan is therefore an essential step to provide a direct link between theory and observations in cosmology, with a particular relevance for the success of present and future observational programs of the European scientific community.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Understanding the physics of the dark sector is one of the foremost challenges of cosmology today. New sophisticated simulations of the evolution of the Universe will play a crucial role in this endeavour.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

The prevailing line of thinking says that our Universe is being shaped by two mysterious entities that astronomers cannot directly observe or measure: dark matter and dark energy. This makes it somewhat challenging to determine if the current understanding of their perceived effects is correct.

One of the ways scientists can gain confidence that they are not missing any relevant information for the correct interpretation of cosmological data is to run models of the Universe. Researchers working on the EU-funded project SIDUN (Simulating the dark Universe) ran simulations for various cosmological scenarios.

To reproduce details of the Universe's evolution, the researchers upgraded software for what are called hydrodynamics simulations, which treat the contents of the Universe as particles of a fluid. These cosmological simulations are mostly focused on competitive scenarios of interacting dark energy and modified gravity models.

But SIDUN scientists also combined simulations of the two different scenarios of the cosmic acceleration with extensions of the standard model, including massive neutrinos. The numerical models of cosmological inflation used provided a significant level of asymmetry in the primordial mass distribution.

The researchers hope that the results of these simulations will answer some still open questions about dark matter, dark energy and the overall structure of the cosmos. In particular, dark energy is purportedly driving the accelerating expansion of our Universe.

There are many different theories about dark energy. It could be a characteristic of gravity at large scales that has not been discovered yet. It could be a twist on general relativity that scientists have not thought of. The new crop of high-resolution simulations data should allow the capture of very subtle effects of dark energy.

SIDUN project results have already been included in the simulations planning of the Euclid mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) designed to map the dark Universe. These should help cosmologists rule out possible explanations as they try to zero in on a more accurate theory of how our Universe works.