Researchers have developed a new computer simulation of the early universe that correlates closely with observations made by the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). The first JWST observations hinted that something might be wrong with our understanding of early galaxy formation. The first galaxies studied by JWST turned out to be brighter and more massive than theoretical expectations.

The results were published on: Open Astrophysics Journal The study, conducted by researchers from Maynooth University in Ireland and staff at the Georgia Institute of Technology in the US, shows that observations made by JWST do not contradict theoretical expectations. The “Renaissance simulations” used by the team are a series of highly complex computer simulations showing the formation of galaxies in the early universe.

The simulation can distinguish tiny clumps of dark matter and trace these clumps as they collapse to form dark matter halos, which then contain the types of galaxies we observe. The simulations can also simulate the formation of the first stars to form in our universe (Population III stars), which are expected to be much larger and brighter than today’s stars.

The simulations used by the MU team showed that these galaxies are consistent with the models that determine the physics of cosmological simulations.

Speaking about the results, lead author Joe M. McCaffrey, Ph.D. student at Maynooth’s Department of Theoretical Physics, said: “We have shown that these simulations are crucial to understanding our origins in the universe. “We hope to use the same simulations in the future to study the growth of massive black holes in the early universe.”

Commenting on the research and the future direction of the research team, Maynooth Associate Professor of Theoretical Physics Dr. John Regan said: “JWST has revolutionized our understanding of the early universe. Using its incredible power, we can now see the universe as it was just a few hundred million years after the Big Bang, when the universe was less than 1% of its current age.”

“JWST shows us that the young universe is bursting with massive star formation and an evolving population of massive black holes. The next steps will be to use these observations to guide our theoretical models, something that was not possible until recently.” Source