Astrophysics & Particle Physics-APPC 2026

Computational Cosmology is a key field of astrophysics that employs numerical models and supercomputer simulations to model the evolution and structure of the cosmos. Through the simulation of dark matter behavior, dark energy, baryonic matter, and cosmic fluids, computational cosmologists can explore processes not otherwise open to direct observation. At the heart of computational cosmology are N-body simulations, which simulate the gravitational interactions of millions or billions of particles of dark matter and galaxies.

These simulations enable scientists to better comprehend large-scale cosmic structures, such as the creation of the cosmic web, galaxy clusters, and voids, as well as the contribution of dark matter to the shaping of the universe.Hydrodynamical simulations include gas physics, star formation, supernova and active galactic nuclei feedback processes, and offer a global insight into galaxy formation and evolution. By comparing these simulations with observations from telescopes and space missions, scientists sharpen models of cosmic structure formation and evolution, checking theoretical predictions and enhancing our knowledge of basic physics.Computational cosmology also investigates the early universe, simulating processes like inflation, baryogenesis, and the creation of the first stars and galaxies. These simulations allow scientists to explore conditions near the time of the Big Bang and make predictions of observable signatures in the cosmic microwave background and large-scale structure surveys.In the last decade, developments in supercomputing, machine learning, and numerical algorithms have significantly improved the accuracy and size of cosmological simulations, so highly realistic virtual universes can be created.

Computational cosmology offers essential information on dark matter distribution, galaxy clustering, cosmic evolution, and interaction between baryonic and non-baryonic matter that serves to unravel the intricate history of the universe.To marry theory, computation, and observation, computational cosmology remains a bulwark of contemporary astrophysics, providing an effective tool to comprehend the universe from the innermost scales of stellar formation up to the largest cosmic structures.