HackCU 2026: Hyperion

🌟 Hyperion Collapsar Star-Death Simulation 🌟

"Gravity Is The Harshest Critic"

An interactive, particle-based physics simulation of a Collapsar — a massive star’s dramatic transition into a black hole. This project visualizes the delicate balance between radiation pressure and gravity, the formation of accretion disks, and the release of relativistic jets.

Overview

A Collapsar occurs when a massive star runs out of fuel. In this simulation, we model the moment gravity overcomes outward radiation pressure, causing the star to collapse into a black hole.

Because the star is naturally spinning, the infalling material forms a hot, spinning accretion disk rather than falling straight in. This process triggers Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), powerful relativistic jets, and ultimately a hypernova explosion.

👥 Meet the Team

Channa J — Organization, Logo/Art, Documentation, and Research
Dan O — Camerawork and Development
Lila P — Physics and Development
Sage E — Graphics and Shaders Development

🎮 Running the Simulation

Controls

Space — Pause / unpause
R — Rotates the camera 360°
(navigation becomes limited to the ⬆️ and ⬇️ arrow keys)
⬆️ ⬇️ ⬅️ ➡️ Arrow Keys — Manually rotate the camera when the R toggle is off