Surfing the Universe
Using computers, scientists can determine the density of a gas cloud
The technique of using mathematics and computers to understand the complex properties of the Earth and the Universe will be the topic of discussion at an upcoming lecture.
Professor Joe Monaghan from Monash University’s School of Mathematical Sciences said mankind’s wish to understand the properties of the Earth is what led to a curiosity of how a computer could help.
“Our Earth is composed of materials that have complex properties. The oceans are liquids that form waves, the air can produce violent storms, rocks and soil, although they make the foundations of buildings, can move and fracture,” Professor Monaghan said.
“If you look at the sky, with the help of telescopes, we can see regions of gas where stars form. Our desire to understand these and other phenomena’s requires an understanding of the science that describes how materials move and change.”
Advances in computing have enabled physicists to design methods for solving these equations. Professor Monaghan will be discussing these ideas at his upcoming lecture, Exploring the Universe by Computer.
“At Monash we have developed a particular class of computational methods where the liquid, gas or solid is replaced by particles that interact in such a way that their motion mimics that of the original material,” Professor Monaghan said.
“The technique for working out their motion is the same as that for the much simpler problem of following the motion of a ball thrown into the air.”
These methods, created by Professor Monaghan and a team of Monash researchers, are used not only to exploring scientific problems, but also for special effects in films.
“Our technique has been used in films, including Superman Returns. Many of these simulations look complicated but they are composed of repeated simple steps that are easy to simulate on the computer,” Professor Monaghan said.
“The skill comes in designing the algorithms to make the simulations quick and accurate, and finding ways to incorporate more complicated features. The continued fascination lies in extending the methods to simulate everything we see.”
Professor Monaghan’s talk is part of the 2012 Monash Science Centre's Science Shaping Society lecture series.
Exploring the Universe by Computer will be held from 7-8pm on 18 April in the Monash Science Centre, Building 74, at Monash University’s Clayton campus.