Simulating the Cosmos - (Universe) by Romeel Davé (Hardcover)

About the Book

Simulating the Cosmos is a behind-the-scenes look into one of the hottest and fastest-moving areas of astrophysics today. Leading cosmologist Romeel Davâe guides you through the trials and tribulations of what it takes to put the universe into a computer, the amazing new insights revealed by cosmological simulations, and the many mysteries yet to be solved. This rollicking and extraordinary journey is a rare glimpse into science in action, showing how cosmologists are using the laws of physics and supercomputers to uncover the secrets of why the universe looks the way it does.

Book Synopsis

A behind-the-scenes look at the latest tool in astrophysics: computer simulations of the cosmos.

Simulating the Cosmos is a behind-the-scenes look at one of the hottest and fastest-moving areas of astrophysics today: simulations of cosmology and galaxy formation. Leading cosmologist Romeel Davé guides you through the trials and tribulations of what it takes to teach computers how galaxies form, the amazing insights revealed by cosmological simulations, and the many mysteries yet to be solved. This rollicking journey is a rare glimpse into science in action, showing how cosmologists are using supercomputers to uncover the secrets of how the universe came to be.

Review Quotes

"The book is a great review of the history of our understanding of cosmology alongside how simulating the universe has improved in the last few decades. Davé writes with a sense of humor that anyone who has taken a physics or astronomy class will find familiar, while taking care to explain difficult concepts in a clear manner similar to the best lecturers in the field. . . . Highly recommended."-- "Choice"

"Davé starts his concise and well-written book by explaining the fundamental limitations of observational astronomy: even with the best telescopes imaginable we will never be able to watch individual galaxies form and evolve because of the cosmic timescales involved . . . but what we can do is model these distant targets on computers, and in Simulating the Cosmos cosmologist Davé takes us through the A-Z of these simulations . . . This is an enthralling read that is highly recommended to readers, including prospective astrophysicists, keen to understand more about how modern cosmology is actually accomplished."-- "BBC Sky at Night"

"[An] exhilarating, candid report from cosmology's front lines. . . . The awe I experienced while reading [this book] overwhelmed my jadedness and doubt. I was especially enthralled by Mr. Davé's speculation that individual galaxies, rather than existing in isolation, interact with one another via intergalactic winds driven by supernovas."-- "Wall Street Journal"

"Simulating the Cosmos explains beautifully and authoritatively how astrophysicists simulate the formation and evolution of galaxies in the expanding universe, and how we test our theories by comparing simulations with observations."--Joel Primack, University of California, Santa Cruz, and recipient of the American Physical Society Lilienfeld Prize 2020

"Building imaginary universes in a supercomputer has been a great success of modern astronomy. Here we have one of the world's masters of this numerical alchemy giving us both the science and the personal story behind our current understanding of how galaxies like the milky way came to exist."--John Peacock, University of Edinburgh, Royal Society, and winner of the Shaw Prize

About the Author

Romeel Davé holds the chair of physics at the University of Edinburgh.