MyCudaProject

MyCudaProject is an advanced gravitational lensing simulator developed in CUDA C++. The primary objective of this project is to render the visual distortions caused by a Schwarzschild black hole, exploring significant astrophysical phenomena through detailed light bending simulations.

Key Features

• Geodesic Equation Simulation: Utilizes the geodesic equations to model the bending of light around a black hole. The mathematical representation is achieved by solving the equation:

  \frac{\partial^2 u}{\partial \phi^2} = \frac{3GM}{C^2} u^2 - u
  

  where u = 1/r, with r and φ representing polar coordinates in a 2D space. This calculation yields precise paths taken by light rays influenced by the black hole's gravity.

• Parallel Processing: Employs CUDA kernels to efficiently process millions of light rays simultaneously, significantly enhancing rendering performance.

• Visual Output: Generates high-quality PNG sequences of the black hole visuals, allowing for a rich visual representation of the simulation.

Additional Resources

A brief summary and final render of the simulation can be viewed on YouTube.

System Requirements

This project has been tested on the following configuration:

• GPU: NVIDIA Tesla T4
• OS: Ubuntu 24.04 LTS
• NVIDIA Driver: 570.211.01
• CUDA Toolkit: 12.6 Update 2 (nvcc 12.6.85)
• Compilers: NVCC 12.6.85 / GCC 13.3.0
• Build Tools: CMake / GNU Make

Acknowledgements

• Lodepng: Utilized for PNG image encoding, originally developed by Lode Vandevenne.
• NASA Scientific Visualization Studio: The textures used for the background starfield and Milky Way are sourced from NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center.

MyCudaProject serves as a powerful tool for visualizing complex astrophysical concepts, making use of modern computing to explore the fascinating effects of gravity on light.