Complex Computer Simulations of Physics

Very often, computers are used to simulate complex systems in physics. Two systems that computers are very often used in studying are plasma and turbulence.

Plasma

Computer simulations are used extensivley, if not almost exclusively. Many plasma simulations such as those shown above are simulations of plasma in a Tokomak, a fusion reactor. They are simulated because large amounts of computer time are still cheaper than building a working reactor.

Turbulence

Computers are also used for numerical analysis of turbulent flows in fluids. Often, a point-by-point substiitution into the Navier-Stokes Equations (below) will be used.