I was part of the Innovative Training Network SUNDIAL, which combines training in computer science and astrophysics. The young scientists in computer science will study topics such as detecting ultrafaint galaxy signals, developing automated models for galaxy recognition and classification, and developing new methods to compare observations and galaxy simulations as well as visualization. My project will focus on galaxy simulations and visualization. With galaxy simulations continuously becoming larger and more detailed, comparison with observation data is far from trivial.

SUNDIAL (Survey Network for Deep Imaging Analysis & Learning) is an ambitious interdisciplinary network of nine research groups in the Netherlands, Germany, Finland, France, the United Kingdom, Spain, Belgium and Italy. The aim of the network is to develop novel algorithms to study the very large databases coming from current-day telescopes to better understand galaxy formation and evolution, and to prepare for the huge missions of the next decade.