Grups d'Investigació

GIUV2026-005

https://www.uv.es/gcc

• 3. To investigate the physics of galaxy clusters and the intracluster medium. The group studies the accretion history of clusters, the dynamics of the intracluster medium, the generation of shock waves and turbulence, and the relationship between these processes and the distribution of dark matter
• 4. To understand the evolution of galaxies in different cosmological environments. A central objective is to determine how the environment ¿voids, the field, filaments or clusters¿ affects galaxy properties, including mass, morphology, star-formation rate, gas content, metallicity and dynamical evolution.
• 5. To study cosmic magnetic fields. The group seeks to characterise the amplification mechanisms of primordial magnetic fields and to assess their impact on the formation and evolution of galaxies, galaxy clusters and large-scale structures.
• The Computational Cosmology group at the University of Valencia uses large-scale numerical simulations to investigate galaxy formation and the evolution of the large-scale structure of the Universe. Through the development and maintenance of advanced computational tools¿including the hydrodynamic and N-body code MASCLET, the halo identifier ASOHF, and specialized software for analyzing shock waves, turbulence, and magnetic fields¿the group provides virtual laboratories that complement observational data and allow the study of astrophysical phenomena inaccessible to traditional experiments. The group's research encompasses several interrelated topics. Their work on cosmological shock waves examines how gravitational energy dissipates during structure formation, influencing the thermodynamics of both the intracluster and intergalactic mediums. Studies on turbulence in galaxy clusters focus on its role in supporting non-thermal pressure, gas mixing, and biases in mass estimates, providing a theoretical basis for interpreting future observations based on the kinematic Sunyaev-Zel'dovich effect. In the field of cosmic magnetism, the group investigates the amplification of weak primordial magnetic fields by turbulence-driven dynamos, generating high-resolution MHD simulations relevant to next-generation radio astronomy facilities such as the Square Kilometre Array. Other lines of research focus on cosmic voids, which constitute an ideal low-density environment for testing cosmological models and studying faint galaxy formation. The group uses high-resolution simulations to analyze the statistical properties of voids, gas flows, and the evolution of their galactic populations. Within the broader field of galaxy formation and evolution, they explore the interplay between gravitational dynamics, gas physics, feedback processes, and black hole activity, including the emergence of unusual systems such as ultradiffuse galaxies and tidal dwarf galaxies. By integrating cutting-edge numerical methodologies with contemporary theoretical frameworks, the group offers new insights into the physical processes that shape cosmic structure and supports the interpretation of data from current and future observatories.
• 8. To connect simulations and observations. The group aims to compare its numerical results with data from observational surveys and astronomical collaborations, promoting a robust physical interpretation of observations and an empirical validation of theoretical models.
• The general objective of the group is to advance our understanding of the formation and evolution of cosmic structures through numerical simulations, advanced data-analysis techniques, and the development of in-house computational tools. The group aims to characterise the non-linear physical processes that connect the evolution of galaxies, clusters, voids, filaments and the cosmic web, with particular attention to the role of the baryonic component, dark matter and magnetic fields.
• 6. To develop computational tools for cosmological simulation and data analysis. The group aims to continue developing, validating and distributing in-house numerical codes for cosmological simulation, structure identification, turbulence analysis, void detection and the characterisation of cosmic flows.
• 7. To explore new methodologies based on machine learning. The group investigates the use of artificial intelligence and machine-learning techniques as complementary tools to conventional cosmological simulations, with the goal of reducing computational costs and generating statistically consistent cosmological data
• 1. To model gas dynamics in cosmological contexts. The group aims to accurately describe the hydrodynamics of gas in the formation of cosmic structures, including accretion processes, shock waves, turbulence, mixing, feedback, and energy transfer across different scales.
• 3. To investigate the physics of galaxy clusters and the intracluster medium. The group studies the accretion history of clusters, the dynamics of the intracluster medium, the generation of shock waves and turbulence, and the relationship between these processes and the distribution of dark matter.

• Computational cosmology and numerical simulations.Development, execution and analysis of high-resolution cosmological simulations to study the formation and evolution of cosmic structures. This line includes the use of adaptive mesh refinement techniques, hydrodynamical modelling, dark matter treatment, star formation, astrophysical feedback, supermassive black holes and magnetic fields.
• Formation and evolution of cosmic voids.Study of voids as fundamental components of the large-scale structure of the Universe. This line addresses the identification of voids in simulations and observations, the characterisation of their density profiles, their temporal evolution, the influence of matter flows from dense regions, and the properties of the galaxies located inside them.
• Galaxy clusters and large-scale structure.Analysis of the formation and evolution of galaxy clusters, their accretion history, their connection with filaments and walls of the cosmic web, and the physical properties of the intracluster medium. This line includes the study of accretion shock waves, turbulence, non-thermal pressure, gas dynamics and the relationship between baryons and dark matter.
• Galaxies in cosmological environments.Study of the evolution of galaxies in different environments, with particular attention to galaxies in clusters and voids. This line investigates processes such as ram pressure, gravitational interactions, morphological transformation, the evolution of dwarf galaxies, star formation and the environmental dependence of galaxy properties.
• Shock waves, turbulence and cosmic flows.Characterisation of non-linear hydrodynamical phenomena in the cosmic medium, including shock waves, accretion flows, turbulence, vorticity and energy transfer. This line is essential for understanding the dynamical evolution of gas in galaxies, clusters and large-scale structures.
• Cosmic magnetic fields and magnetohydrodynamics.Study of the origin, evolution and amplification of magnetic fields in the Universe through magnetohydrodynamical simulations. This line analyses the role of turbulence, dynamo mechanisms and the interaction between magnetic fields, gas and cosmic structures.
• Development of scientific software and analysis tools.Design and maintenance of simulation and post-processing codes for computational cosmology. This line includes the development of tools for the identification of haloes and galaxies, void detection, turbulence characterisation, flow analysis and the efficient processing of large volumes of cosmological data.
• Machine learning applied to cosmological simulations.Exploration of machine learning techniques, including generative models, to produce cosmological data compatible with conventional simulations, accelerate analysis processes, improve effective resolution, and reduce the computational cost of certain numerical studies.

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• Astronomy and Astrophysics

• NUMERICAL SIMULATION IN ASTROPHYSICS
• GALAXIES
• GALAXY CLUSTERS
• COSMOLOGICAL VOIDS
• COSMOLOGY
• LARGE-SCALE STRUCTURE