# Enzo-E Units¶

In non-cosmological simulations, the user is free to specify length, time, and either density or mass units (only one can be set). This is done by setting values for Units:length, Units:time, and either Units:density or Units:mass, which correspond to the unit length / time / density / mass in cgs units. If running with gravity, and if the user wants to use the standard value for the gravitational constant, the user must set a value for Method:gravity:grav_const which is consistent with their choice of units; i.e., its value must be $$G_{cgs}\times M \times T^2 \times L^{-3}$$, or equivalently, $$G_{cgs}\times D \times T^2$$, where $$M, D, T, L$$ are the mass, density, time, and length units, and $$G_{cgs}$$ is the value of the gravitational constant in cgs units.

In cosmological simulations, the code ignores any specified units and instead operates in a coordinate system which is comoving with the universal expansion, defining the length, time, velocity, and density units as given below (length and density units depend on time / redshift.)

The length unit is specified by Physics:cosmology:comoving_box_size, which gives the length unit in terms of comoving $$Mpc/h$$.

The density unit is defined so that the comoving mean matter density of the universe is 1, where the mean comoving matter density is given by $$\frac{3 H_0^2 \Omega_m}{8 \pi G}$$.

The time unit is defined so that $$\frac{3}{2} H_0^2 \Omega_m (1+z_i)^3 = 1$$, where $$z_i$$ is the initial redshift of the simulation. This is the free-fall time at $$z = z_i$$, which has the effect of simplifying Poisson’s equation.

The velocity unit is defined as $$\frac{1+z_i}{1+z} L / T$$, where $$L$$ is the length unit, and $$T$$ is the time unit.

For cosmological simulations, the value set for Method:gravity:grav_const is ignored.

In all simulations, the "temperature" field always has units of Kelvin.