On August 9, 1996, at the Langley IMAX theatre in the National Air and Space Museum, the film Cosmic Voyage will premiere. This film will take the viewer on a journey through the grand sweep of space and time: from the realms of sub-atomic particles to the largest scales of the known universe, from the present day back to the earliest seconds after the Big Bang. This grand tour will expand one's horizons beyond imagination to the limits of what is known and will be presented in the sensory immersing experience of an IMAX theatre. The Grand Challenge Cosmology Consortium (GC3) in collaboration with the National Supercomputing Metacenter will be a part of it.
The GC3 is providing the scientific basis for a four minute sequence in Cosmic Voyage that depicts the formation of structure in the universe. Beginning shortly after the Big Bang, the sequence follows the expansion of the universe, the gravitational collapse of structure, the formation of galaxies, and a climactic collision of of two grand design spiral galaxies. This sequence is the only part of the film that is direct scientific visualization: based of data from cutting edge scientific simulations rather than artist's conceptions. To meet the intense requirements of the IMAX large screen format, these simulations are breaking new ground, both computationally and scientifically. In achieving these advances, GC3 researchers have worked closely with members of the National Supercomputing Metacenter.
The three parts of the sequence are being computed separately under the coordination of members of the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA). Scientists from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign and Princeton University are working with the computer graphics wizards at PIXAR to create a visualization of the early universe that is both scientifically accurate and visually stunning. The challenge is animate fluctuations in the density field, such as those observed by the COBE satellite, within a three dimensional, expanding, and evolving universe. In the second part, Princeton and NCSA are creating a simulation of galaxy formation whose dynamic range and detail are unprecedented. Covering scales from the stringy filaments that connect clusters of galaxies down to the swirling collapse of an individual spiral galaxy, this dramatic zoom will astound viewers with the immense scale of the universe while presenting the current ideas on its formation. The last part teams researchers from the University of California at Santa Cruz with the San Diego Supercomputing Center (SDSC) to create a visualization of two galaxies colliding and merging. To achieve the requisite level of detail for the intricate tidal streams of stars and gas produced, as well as the ensuing violent burst of star formation, will require hundreds of hours on a Cray supercomputer.
This project is an example of a collaborative effort that is only possible with the existence of the National Supercomputing Metacenter. Assembling the processing power, data storage facilities, specialized visualization hardware, and top notch personnel would not be feasible anywhere else. For example, the galaxy formation sequence requires weeks of dedicated time on a Silicon Graphics parallel supercomputer and produces hundreds of gigabytes of data to be processed. The galaxy collision sequence is being computed at SDSC, then sent via a high speed network line to NCSA for visualization. Having the computer hardware, communications lines, and expert staff in place makes such projects possible. Only in Hollywood might someone dream of undertaking to visualize the formation of the universe on an IMAX scale. However, the entertainment industry would have little concern for presenting a story that is scientifically accurate and which carries lasting significance. Through a major collaborative effort, the Grand Challenge Cosmology Consortium and the National Supercomputing Metacenter can accomplish both goals and lead IMAX theatregoers at the Air and Space Museum and around the world on a truly Cosmic Voyage.