Big Data & Physics
Astrophysics is one of the most beautiful areas for the application of big data analysis. The amount of information material is large and it is a great challenge to find the few relevant parameters — as in the story of Kepler and Tycho Brache.
Technologically, our expertise lies in the correct ‘scaling’ of the problem. This means that, for example, in astrophysics, it makes no sense to regard voids (star-empty spaces) with the same resolution as the centre of a galaxy cluster. In a market research project, ‘scaling’ is finding the right mix of test subjects from both the metropolitan areas and the outlying regions.
Simulation of a supernova explosion
The greatest success for a scientist is when a thesis can be confirmed by observation and experimentation. It is just as exciting to reconstruct an observed process or an experiment on the computer in order to verify the underlying theory.
We have been able to simulate the observed data of a supernova explosion with impressive accuracy. The biggest challenge here is the modelling of the so-called shock front, the contact point of the supernova with its surroundings. At 5,000 km per second, this shock front is not only incredibly fast, but also extremely thin. Therefore the correct scaling is of great importance.