Gravitational N-body Simulations
arXiv:0806.3950
Abstract
Gravitational N-body simulations, that is numerical solutions of the equations of motions for N particles interacting gravitationally, are widely used tools in astrophysics, with applications from few body or solar system like systems all the way up to galactic and cosmological scales. In this article we present a summary review of the field highlighting the main methods for N-body simulations and the astrophysical context in which they are usually applied.
13 pages, invited refereed review for the Scholarpedia Encyclopedia of Astrophysics, advanced undergraduate level. Available online at http://www.scholarpedia.org/article/N-body_simulations