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About Archives | | This is an archive item that is no longer being maintained. |
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Download | The Application (174 KB, ZIP, Windows) |
Pocket Universe is provided for free download and use. If you like it, or have suggestions for future development, please use the feedback form. |
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About Pocket Universe | Pocket Universe simulates the gravitational and thermodynamic interactions between particles, which closely models the behaviour of galaxies. On a typical desktop computer, simulations of 1000+ particles are modeled in real-time. Mathematical models used in this program are representative only, and can not be deemed accurate for any purpose. |
 | | A universe of 2650 particles. After one minute: the first collision. |
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The Model for Calculations |  | An optional 'thermodynamic' processing model approximates thermal pressure and friction. This causes particles to readily cluster. In this case, pressure and friction have caused these perticles to settle into a rotating sphere. You might also notice a small fraction of the system mass circling in a ring. Where pressure and mass are balanced, and kinetic energy is sufficiently low, a structure approximating a tetrahedral lattice will form. When approximating large diffuse gas structures, friction should be set low. Likewise, when approximating denser objects, friction should be set high. |
- Friction: Slows down any particles that are travelling against each other in proximity, and converts the energy to heat.
- Pressure: Depending on temperature and proximity, pressure will prevent particles becoming close to each other.
- Luminance: The 'Show Luminance' option (View Properties), will show the emitted heat energy of the particles. A system can lose energy through friction then radiation. If a system becomes too dark to see, you can switch this option off, to view everthing at the same brightness.
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Gallery |  | | 1. 8000 particles after a sticky first collision, on the default configuration. |
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 | | 2. After the next pass, barred-spiral distortions start. Particles near the core are hotter because of thermal friction, and some darker (non-illuminating) matter can be seen in front of the cores. |
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 | | 3. Further on, before the next collision, cores are brightening and the peripheries are dimming, so we've lowered the contrast. |
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 | | 4. later, and we've dimmed the contrast again to reveal more detail. There is more dark matter now. |
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 | | 5. The centre and bottom-right images are the same view, having only different contrast levels. |
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 | | 6. Eventually, they settle into a globular fuzz, via a disk-like structure, and burn out. |
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News | | 25 Nov 2004 | Release 2.0
Beta stable | Further 'New Universe' options:
- 'Colliding Galaxy' option.
- Optimised 'local grid precision' processing brings great efficiencies to large universes.
- Bond connectors, appearing when particles are within a defined proximity.
- Further options to define initial state of clusters
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| 02 Sep 1999 | Release 1.99
Alpha stable |
- Multiple 3D first-person perspective views on the same 'universe', with pan, rotate, dolly and zoom.
- Universe model that supports large simulations (2 million particles tested).
 Views that display particles with luminosity and sub-pixel precision. This gives a characteristically 'optical' view, with smoother animation, precise positioning of particles, and better impression of density and depth.
- Options for 4, 8, or 10-byte floating-point maths.
- 32-bit Win95/98/NT4.
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| 31 May 1996 | Release 1.00
pre-Alpha | Multiple orthogonal views onto a gravitational universe. 16-bit. |
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| © 2008 John Valentine, All rights reserved. | | |
