European Network of Computation Astrophysics (ASTROSIM)

: This program aims to bring together European computational astrophysicists working on a broad range of topics from the stability of the solar system to the formation of stars and galaxies. Understanding our origins and the formation of structure in the universe is a challenging multi-disciplinary research activity that brings together observational, experimental and theoretical researchers with a broad range of expertise. The systems that we attempt to model are complex and involve a range of physical processes operating over enormous lengths and timescales. Computational techniques developed by researchers in Europe since the 1960¿s have played a central role in advancing this subject, developing theories for structure formation, testing cosmological models and solving the complex non-linear problems inherent to gravitational and hydro-dynamical astrophysical processes. Understanding the strong interplay between different scales is essential for a complete theory and true understanding of structure formation. Our aims are to strengthen the existing European activities in computational astrophysics, avoiding fragmentation as this field grows in strength and to exchange expertise through an active program of conferences, workshops, training schools and exchange visits. Our scientific objectives are to refine our computational techniques and multi-scale modelling in order to develop and test theories of structure formation in readiness for the grand challenge European projects planned by ESO and ESA over the coming decades.