Simulating the Cosmos: Astrophysics Using a Computer

  When thinking of astronomy, we often envision telescopes and pictures of objects in the sky.  To understand the systems fully, those items are certainly necessary...but not sufficient.  To gain a complete picture, we must compare our observations to the physical laws that govern the entire universe.  That process requires simulation, using computers to do calculations beyond human ability.  Writing, running and interpreting these simulations is the job of computational astrophysicists. Dr. Sarah Morrison of Missouri State University drops by STEM Spots to talk over the basic approach and some specific examples of simulating the cosmos.