The complexity of such large-scale simulations, previously limited to gravity-only models, underscores the necessity of powerful computing tools like Frontier and El Capitan to meet modern astronomy's increasing data demands.

Bronson Messer, director of science at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, praised the simulation for its physical realism and its ability to directly compare with modern observational surveys.

The upgraded HACC was nearly 300 times faster than its previous versions when executed on the exascale-class Frontier supercomputer, which utilized around 9,000 compute nodes powered by AMD Instinct MI250X GPUs.

Frontier, recognized as the world's first exascale supercomputer, was recently surpassed in speed by El Capitan, which became the fastest supercomputer in November 2024.

Beyond astrophysics, the capabilities of Frontier extend to applications in nuclear fission and fusion, drug development, climate change prediction, and the creation of advanced materials.

In November 2024, researchers at Argonne National Laboratory achieved a significant milestone by conducting the largest astrophysical simulation of the universe using the Frontier supercomputer at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

This groundbreaking simulation utilized the Hardware/Hybrid Accelerated Cosmology Code (HACC), which has been upgraded over the past 15 years to meet the demands of exascale computing.

Project lead Salman Habib highlighted that the simulation incorporates both dark and conventional matter, enabling a deeper understanding of the universe's processes, including cosmological hydrodynamics.

Astrophysical simulations like this one are crucial for refining theoretical models, as they allow scientists to compare simulation outcomes with observational data and iteratively enhance their understanding.

The simulation covers a vast volume of the universe, measuring 10 billion light years across, and includes detailed models for dark matter, dark energy, gas dynamics, star formation, and black hole growth.

By providing new insights into galaxy formation and the evolution of large-scale structures in the universe, this simulation effectively compares with observations from powerful telescopes.

Prior to running on Frontier, parameter scans for HACC were conducted on other supercomputers, including Perlmutter and Aurora, to optimize the simulation's performance.