Skip to content

Commit 2f1a7f0

Browse files
Update getting_started-public.md
1 parent 06c6e1e commit 2f1a7f0

1 file changed

Lines changed: 19 additions & 1 deletion

File tree

docs/getting_started-public.md

Lines changed: 19 additions & 1 deletion
Original file line numberDiff line numberDiff line change
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
22

33
NEXT is an N-Body gravity code for astrophysics and such.
44

5-
## What does that mean?
5+
## What is Code / Astrophysics?
66

77
Its a Computer program made in the low-level programming language C++ designed for running on workstations
88
or supercomputers that simulates forces between objects called **"Newtonian Gravity"**
@@ -13,3 +13,21 @@ The term "N-Body" simply means **"multiple"** or **"many"** bodies, N could stan
1313
**"Body"** refers to such object in the simulation, it could be a star, a planet, or just particles.
1414

1515
**So, an "N-Body" simulation is just a way of calculating how "N" objects move under gravity when they all pull in at eachother in the same time.**
16+
17+
## Whats the purpose of NEXT?
18+
19+
NEXT was made as an new simulation code written from **scratch**, to simulate interaction of bodies
20+
in short periods of compute time.
21+
22+
## How is it efficient?
23+
24+
The challenge is: if you have millions of stars, calculating the pull of each other on every one takes forever
25+
with the basic formula.
26+
27+
The trick: **Barnes-Hut** instead of looking at each particle one-by-one NEXT scans the simulation and divides particles into groups
28+
and starts to treat them as "big stars".
29+
30+
NEXT, however doesnt use basic Barnes-Hut; it uses **Barnes-Hut With High Ordering Multipoles**, instead of treating it like a "big star", it adds extra detail using a **dipole, quadrupole, and higher terms** into the calculation, adding shape and spread
31+
preserving accuracy of the engine (usually **5-7 times more stable**).
32+
33+
That means that NEXT can simulate thousands (if not millions) particles at once interacting, while still being fast!

0 commit comments

Comments
 (0)