Speaker
Gabor Racz
(University of Helsinki)
Description
In cosmology, N-body simulations are a fundamental computational tool used to track the non-linear growth of cosmic structures. While the global topology of our Universe is still an open question, cosmological N-body simulations are almost exclusively run in a non-trivial T^3 (3-torus) topology due to a mere numerical convenience. In this talk, I will demonstrate how the choice of a global topological manifold influences the results of cosmological simulations. Furthermore, I will show how the novel N-body code StePS enables the execution of simulations in alternative topologies - such as R^3 and S^1xR^2 - providing a more versatile framework for exploring the topological nature of our Universe.