Related papers: The computer BESK and an early attempt to simulate…
1- Simulations of star clusters and galactic nuclei: rotation and other challenges (R. Spurzem & C. Einsel) 2- Relaxation of elliptical galaxies (C. Boily) 3- Simulations with an Hybrid Nbody-Scf code (M. Hemsendorf) These are three…
The optical morphology of galaxies is strongly related to galactic environment, with the fraction of early-type galaxies increasing with local galaxy density. In this work we present the first analysis of the galaxy morphology-density…
We introduce here very briefly, through some selective choices of problems and through the sample computer simulation programs (following the request of the editor for this invited review in the Journal of Physics Through Computation), the…
We use high resolution collisionless $N$-body simulations to study the secular evolution of disk galaxies and in particular the final properties of disks that suffer a bar and perhaps a bar-buckling instability. Although we find that bars…
After two decades of direct dynamical simulation of large-scale structure in the universe, it is safe to say the subject is now mature. Still, there are parts of the problem that are less well developed than others. In general, the…
The reproducibility of experiments is one of the main principles of the scientific method. However, numerical N-body experiments, especially those of planetary systems, are currently not reproducible. In the most optimistic scenario, they…
Most recent progress in understanding the dynamical evolution of star clusters relies on direct N-body simulations. Owing to the computational demands, and the desire to model more complex and more massive star clusters, hardware…
Physics students now have access to interactive molecular dynamics simulations that can model and animate the motions of hundreds of particles, such as noble gas atoms, that attract each other weakly at short distances but repel strongly…
The next generation of submillimetre/millimetre instruments will provide us with a deeper insight into the mechanisms that rule galaxy formation. As the brightest starbursts are thought to be heavily obscured at optical wavelengths, the…
We present the results of detailed N-body simulations regarding the interaction of four massive globular clusters in the central region of a triaxial galaxy. The systems undergo a full merging event, producing a sort of 'Super Star Cluster'…
The discovery of dynamical friction was Chandrasekhar's best known contribution to the theory of stellar dynamics, but his work ranged from the few-body problem to the limit of large N (in effect, galaxies). Much of this work was summarised…
Even simplified models of quantum many-body systems can be difficult to analyse. However, taking inspiration from the foundations of physics, one may wonder whether there are practical advantages to constructing alternative beyond-quantum…
Developing a theory of low-mass star formation ($\sim 0.1$ to 3~M$_{\odot}$) remains one of the most elusive and important goals of theoretical astrophysics. The star-formation process is the outcome of the complex dynamics of interstellar…
In this thesis we study several aspects of dynamical evolution of stellar clusters. The results of more than 200 simulations of single-mass star clusters with different initial total mass, half-mass radius and galactocentric distance, are…
The cosmic large-scale structure (LSS) provides a unique testing ground for connecting fundamental physics to astronomical observations. Modeling the LSS requires numerical $N$-body simulations or perturbative techniques that both come with…
We study the evolution of simulated disk galaxies in the context of a nonlocal theory of gravity. In this theory the appearance of the dark matter problem in cosmology and astrophysics is a manifestation of the nonlocality of the…
The near proportionality between HI and dark matter in outer galactic disks prompted us to run N-body simulations of galactic disks in which the observed gas content is supplemented by a dark gas component representing between zero and five…
Simulations of purely self-gravitating N-body systems are often used in astrophysics and cosmology to study the collisionless limit of such systems. Their results for macroscopic quantities should then converge well for sufficiently large…
In this short essay, we show how computer experiments, and especially visualization, allowed for the investigation and discovery of phenomena which would have passed unnoticed. We shall also highlight the importance of interactivity between…
We report on resent N-body simulations of galaxy formation performed on the GRAPE-4 (GRAvity PipE) system, a special-purpose computer for astrophysical N-body simulations. We review the astrophysical motivation, the algorithm, the actual…