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Astronomers Explode Virtual Supernova

DynaSoar writes "Scientists at the University of Chicago's Center for Astrophysical Thermonuclear Flashes have created a simulation of a white dwarf exploding into a type 1a supernova. Using 700 processors and 58,000 hours, they produced a three second movie showing the initial burst that is thought to be the source of much of the iron in the universe. Understanding these supernovas is also important to testing current cosmological theories regarding dark matter and dark energy, as their brightness is used as a measurement of distance, and discrepancies found in the brightness of very distant supernovas consistently seem to indicate a change in the speed of expansion of the universe over time."

11 of 97 comments (clear)

  1. Psssh! by PixieDust · · Score: 4, Funny

    7000 processors and 58000 hours? SG-1 Did that in a single episode! On a TV special effects budget no less!

    1. Re:Psssh! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Maybe they can simulate a sense of humor for you.

    2. Re:Psssh! by hosecoat · · Score: 2, Funny

      sadly, a tv effects budget is probably more then a scientific grant.

  2. Re:movie links on the UC site by Goalie_Ca · · Score: 2, Funny

    thanks for the mirror because we just exploded their servers!

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    Go canucks, habs, and sens!
  3. Re:58000 hours by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Sure it was a coding error that showed up 6 years later...

    Researcher #1: Ooops! It crashed... darn!
    Researcher #2: Crap! After 6 years!...
    Researcher #1: Oh wait.. I have an idea!...

  4. Re:A face in the explosion by cyberbob2351 · · Score: 2, Funny

    Elvis lives

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    for sale
    I'm a self-modifying sig virus
  5. Very Subtle by BillGatesLoveChild · · Score: 4, Funny

    > created a simulation of a white dwarf exploding into a type 1a supernova. Using 700 processors and 58,000 hours,

    They probably got Federal Funding for this by explaining it was "like sticking a giant firecracker up a giant frog"

  6. The horror! by Tablizer · · Score: 3, Funny

    You insensative clods! They killed my virtual friends and my virtual dog orbiting around that star on a virtual planet! Just because they are bits instead of molecules is no reason to demean them.

  7. Is it April Fools Day already? by patio11 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I'm sorry, I had to check when their acronym spells CATFUC.

  8. Re:Well that's all fine and good.... by Waffle+Iron · · Score: 3, Funny

    Since you're browsing slashdot when instead you could be working on harnessing fusion power, it would seem that you're just as guilty of having skewed priorities as these astrophysicists.

  9. I feel a disturbance by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    ... as if a million bits cried out at once and then were silenced!