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Theoretical Astrophysics Lab
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A lab that uses computers to trace how structures in the universe formed, from stars to galaxy clusters.
AboutAbout the lab
Building galaxies inside a supercomputer.
The Theoretical Astrophysics Lab studies how structures at many levels of the universe, from stars and black holes to galaxies and galaxy clusters, were born and evolved.
For each era from just after the Big Bang to the present, the lab uses numerical simulations and semi-analytic models based on them.
Its calculations run on supercomputers such as RIKEN's Fugaku and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan's Aterui II, and incorporate radiation, magnetic fields, and chemical reactions in addition to fluid dynamics and gravity.
The simulation results are compared with observational studies, which helps to clarify the evolution of the real universe from the theoretical side.
Key terms
- First stars
- The first generation of stars in the universe (Population III stars). They were born in an era when there were no luminous objects yet.
- Galaxy cluster
- One of the largest objects in the universe, formed by a large number of galaxies gathered together.
- Semi-analytic model
- A model that approximates computationally expensive parts with equations, so that the evolution of astronomical objects can be followed quickly.
ResearchResearch themes
For various eras of the universe, from just after the Big Bang to the present, the lab investigates how structures ranging from stars and black holes to galaxies and galaxy clusters formed and evolved. It pursues this using theoretical methods: numerical simulations and semi-analytic models.
*Illustrative imageFirst stars
The first stars were the first to be born during the cosmic dark ages, when there were no luminous objects at all. Using numerical simulations, the lab studies the process by which matter gathers under gravity and becomes stars, starting from the density fluctuations imprinted at the time of the Big Bang.
*Illustrative imageFirst galaxies
The first generation of galaxies in the universe is thought to have appeared slightly after the first stars. The lab uses simulations to follow how stars form from gas and how black holes grow, as well as the effects that the strong gas outflows and light emitted from them have on their surroundings.
*Illustrative imageGalaxies and galaxy clusters
Galaxies, and the galaxy clusters in which they gather, are the largest-scale objects in the universe. By combining phenomenological models with numerical simulations and reproducing observed features, the lab aims to describe the evolution of the universe itself from the theoretical side.
*Illustrative imageSupermassive black holes
Supermassive black holes, which are thought to lie at the centers of most galaxies, are believed to have grown from seed black holes by absorbing surrounding matter. The lab uses simulations to study their formation and evolution, and the mechanism of their "coevolution" with galaxies.
MembersFaculty
The members of the Theoretical Astrophysics Lab consist of faculty members, research students, graduate students, and undergraduate students.As of 2026
- ProfessorTakashi Okamoto
- Assistant ProfessorKazuyuki Sugimura
VoicesStudent voices
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Report an errorAbout the images
The top and research theme images are illustrative and were not taken at the lab. They are cropped from Wikimedia Commons images. Cropped CC BY-SA images are provided under the same CC BY-SA license as the original (version shown on each line).
- Top image: “The spiral galaxy NGC 941 photographed by the Hubble Space Telescope” ESA/Hubble & NASA, C. Kilpatrick / Public domain (cropped)
- First stars: “Pillars of Creation (NIRCam Image)” SCIENCE: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; IMAGE PROCESSING: Joseph DePasquale (STScI), Anton M. Koekemoer (STScI), Alyssa Pagan (STScI) / Public domain (cropped)
- First galaxies: “Webb's First Deep Field” NASA, ESA, CSA, and STScI / Public domain (cropped)
- Galaxies and galaxy clusters: “New Hubble view of galaxy cluster Abell 1689” NASA, ESA, the Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA), J. Blakeslee ほか
/ CC BY 4.0 (cropped) - Supermassive black holes: “Black hole - Messier 87” Event Horizon Telescope / CC BY 4.0 (cropped)
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