Computer Simulations

Theorists have had some success in reproducing the 3-D structure that is found observationally for the Universe. The adjacent image shows the end result of a supercomputer simulation in which filaments grow that exceed 100,000 light years in length and surround gigantic bubbles of low-density gas. The intersections of the filaments produce regions of high density (signified by red) that are thought to generate bright X-ray clusters of galaxies.

We shall discuss such simulations in more detail when we consider the general issue of structure formation in the Universe.