galaxy2
Stellar Simulation
Galaxy2
is program which simulates the motion of stars
under the influence of gravity. Create a field of random stars to begin
with, then watch the stars move as they are accelerated by their mutual
gravitational attractions. Watch how the attractive forces accelerate
individual stars to send them in new directions. Watch large groups of
stars develop spiral arms over time. Galaxy2 can be used as a learning
aid for young students of science.
1000 stars
2000 stars
4000 stars
8000 stars
16000 stars
video
This is a 3.7 minute video with several short segments showing
Galaxy simulations. The first segment has only 10 stars, so you can
watch them pulling on each-other and how their motions change as a
result. The remaining segments have increasingly greater numbers of
stars. The last segment has 16000 stars and shows the end result after
10 minutes of simulation - a spiral galaxy.