As Slime Molds are known for their advanced ability to create complex chains of networks to find the most efficient path to food sources, scientists think this slime mold algorithm could be used for an astrophysical application. Inspired by the biological organism Physarum polycephalum or slime mold, the team led by Farhanul Hasan and Professor Joseph Burchett employed a novel model, the Monte Carlo Physarum Machine (MCPM), to illustrate cosmological simulations and investigate filaments’ impact on galaxies.
MCPM is the bio-inspired slime mold algorithm recommended and Farhanul Hasan and Joseph Burchett altered the algorithm such that it mimics the growth of slim mold. The team also adapted it to model the large-scale structure of the Universe.
With an ever-expanding universe since the Big Bang, the complex network of galaxies, gas, and dark matter has formed the large-scale structure of the universe called the Cosmic Web. The gravity has concentrated the matter into galaxies and clusters of galaxies forming a web-like structure that resembles very much the network formed by slime molds.
Therefore, the team even worked with a graphics rendering expert to use a slime mold algorithm to mimic slime mold that could find its own food by reforming itself into a structure much like the cosmic web. It took the team several years to complete their work.
As per Farhanul Hasan, the results produced are more detailed discrete structures than the old methods. He added, “I didn’t know how well it was going to work or not work, but I had a hunch the slime mold method could tell us much more detailed information about how density is structured in the universe, so I decided to give it a try.”
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“Understanding how galaxies form and change over time is a major challenge in astrophysics. The mass of a galaxy plays a crucial role in determining its observable physical properties, as it determines the strength of internal processes such as supernovae and active galactic nucleus feedback,” says the team.
“Moreover, the environment surrounding galaxies is also a significant factor in shaping their physical properties such as mass, highlighting the importance of the interaction between a galaxy and its surroundings in the process of evolution.”
Journal Reference:
Farhanul Hasan, Joseph N. Burchett, Douglas Hellinger, Oskar Elek, Daisuke Nagai, S. M. Faber5, Joel R. Primack, David C. Koo, Nir Mandelker, and Joanna Woo. Filaments of the Slime Mold Cosmic Web and How They Affect Galaxy Evolution b. the American Astronomical Society. DOI: 10.3847/1538-4357/ad4ee2