The DiRAC-2.5y Facility
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leicester
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy
Abstract
Physicists across the astronomy, nuclear and particle physics communities are focussed
on understanding how the Universe works at a very fundamental level. The distance scales
with which they work vary by 50 orders of magnitude from the smallest distances probed
by experiments at the Large Hadron Collider, deep within the atomic
nucleus, to the largest scale galaxy clusters discovered out in space. The Science challenges,
however, are linked through questions such as: How did the Universe begin and how is it evolving?
and What are the fundamental constituents and fabric of the Universe and how do they interact?
Progress requires new astronomical observations and experimental data but also
new theoretical insights. Theoretical understanding comes increasingly from large-scale
computations that allow us to confront the consequences of our theories very accurately
with the data or allow us to interrogate the data in detail to extract information that has
impact on our theories. These computations test the fastest computers that we have and
push the boundaries of technology in this sector. They also provide an excellent
environment for training students in state-of-the-art techniques for code optimisation and
data mining and visualisation.
The DiRAC2 HPC facility has been operating since 2012, providing computing resources for theoretical research
in all areas of particle physics, astronomy, cosmology and nuclear physics supported by STFC. It is a highly productive
facility, generating 200-250 papers annually in international, peer-reviewed journals. However, the DiRAC facility risks becoming uncompetitive as it has remained static in terms of overall capability since 2012. The DiRAC-2.5x investment in 2017/18 mitigated the risk of hardware failures, by replacing our oldest hardware components. However, as the factor 5 oversubscription of the most recent RAC call demonstrated, the science programme in 2019/20 and beyond requires a significant uplift in DiRAC's compute capability. The main purpose of the requested funding for the DiRAC2.5y project is to provide a factor 2 increase in computing across all DiRAC services to enable the facility to remain competitive during 2019/20 in anticipation of future funding for DiRAC-3.
DiRAC2.5y builds on the success of the DiRAC HPC facility and will provide the resources needed to support cutting-edge research
during 2019 in all areas of science supported by STFC. While the funding is required to remain competitive, the science programme will continue to be world-leading. Examples of the projects which will benefit from this investment include:
(i) lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD) calculations of the properties of fundamental particles from first principles;
(ii) improving the potential of experiments at CERN's Large Hadron Collider for discovery of new physics by increasing the accuracy of theoretical predictions for rare processes involving the fundamental constituents of matter known as quarks;
(iii) simulations of the merger of pairs of black holes amnwhich generate gravitational waves such as those recently discovered by the LIGO consortium;
(iv) the most realistic simulations to date of the formation and evolution of galaxies in the Universe;
(v) the accretion of gas onto supermassive black holes, the most efficient means of extracting energy from matter and the engine which drives galaxy evolution;
(vi) new models of our own Milky Way galaxy calibrated using new data from the European Space Agency's GAIA satellite;
(vii) detailed simulations of the interior of the sun and of planetary interiors;
(viii) the formation of stars in clusters - for the first time it will be possible to follow the formation of massive stars.
on understanding how the Universe works at a very fundamental level. The distance scales
with which they work vary by 50 orders of magnitude from the smallest distances probed
by experiments at the Large Hadron Collider, deep within the atomic
nucleus, to the largest scale galaxy clusters discovered out in space. The Science challenges,
however, are linked through questions such as: How did the Universe begin and how is it evolving?
and What are the fundamental constituents and fabric of the Universe and how do they interact?
Progress requires new astronomical observations and experimental data but also
new theoretical insights. Theoretical understanding comes increasingly from large-scale
computations that allow us to confront the consequences of our theories very accurately
with the data or allow us to interrogate the data in detail to extract information that has
impact on our theories. These computations test the fastest computers that we have and
push the boundaries of technology in this sector. They also provide an excellent
environment for training students in state-of-the-art techniques for code optimisation and
data mining and visualisation.
The DiRAC2 HPC facility has been operating since 2012, providing computing resources for theoretical research
in all areas of particle physics, astronomy, cosmology and nuclear physics supported by STFC. It is a highly productive
facility, generating 200-250 papers annually in international, peer-reviewed journals. However, the DiRAC facility risks becoming uncompetitive as it has remained static in terms of overall capability since 2012. The DiRAC-2.5x investment in 2017/18 mitigated the risk of hardware failures, by replacing our oldest hardware components. However, as the factor 5 oversubscription of the most recent RAC call demonstrated, the science programme in 2019/20 and beyond requires a significant uplift in DiRAC's compute capability. The main purpose of the requested funding for the DiRAC2.5y project is to provide a factor 2 increase in computing across all DiRAC services to enable the facility to remain competitive during 2019/20 in anticipation of future funding for DiRAC-3.
DiRAC2.5y builds on the success of the DiRAC HPC facility and will provide the resources needed to support cutting-edge research
during 2019 in all areas of science supported by STFC. While the funding is required to remain competitive, the science programme will continue to be world-leading. Examples of the projects which will benefit from this investment include:
(i) lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD) calculations of the properties of fundamental particles from first principles;
(ii) improving the potential of experiments at CERN's Large Hadron Collider for discovery of new physics by increasing the accuracy of theoretical predictions for rare processes involving the fundamental constituents of matter known as quarks;
(iii) simulations of the merger of pairs of black holes amnwhich generate gravitational waves such as those recently discovered by the LIGO consortium;
(iv) the most realistic simulations to date of the formation and evolution of galaxies in the Universe;
(v) the accretion of gas onto supermassive black holes, the most efficient means of extracting energy from matter and the engine which drives galaxy evolution;
(vi) new models of our own Milky Way galaxy calibrated using new data from the European Space Agency's GAIA satellite;
(vii) detailed simulations of the interior of the sun and of planetary interiors;
(viii) the formation of stars in clusters - for the first time it will be possible to follow the formation of massive stars.
Planned Impact
The anticipated impact of the DiRAC2.5y HPC facility aligns closely with the recently published UK Industrial Strategy. As such, many of our key impacts will be driven by our engagements with industry. Each service provider for DiRAC2.5y has a local industrial strategy to deliver increased levels of industrial returns over the next three years.
The "Pathways to impact" document which is attached to this proposal describes the overall industrial strategy for the DiRAC facility, including our strategic goals and key performance indicators.
The "Pathways to impact" document which is attached to this proposal describes the overall industrial strategy for the DiRAC facility, including our strategic goals and key performance indicators.
Organisations
Publications
Kruijssen J
(2019)
The E-MOSAICS project: tracing galaxy formation and assembly with the age-metallicity distribution of globular clusters
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Kruijssen J
(2019)
The formation and assembly history of the Milky Way revealed by its globular cluster population
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Kulkarni G
(2019)
Large Ly a opacity fluctuations and low CMB t in models of late reionization with large islands of neutral hydrogen extending to z < 5.5
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Lander S
(2019)
Magnetic-field evolution in a plastically failing neutron-star crust
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Langleben J
(2019)
ExoMol line list - XXXIV. A rovibrational line list for phosphinidene (PH) in its $X\, {}^3\Sigma ^-$ and $a\, {}^1\Delta$ electronic states
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Leo M
(2019)
High-redshift test of gravity using enhanced growth of small structures probed by the neutral hydrogen distribution
in Physical Review D
Li H
(2019)
ExoMol line lists - XXXII. The rovibronic spectrum of MgO
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Li Q
(2019)
The dust-to-gas and dust-to-metal ratio in galaxies from z = 0 to 6
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Liao S
(2019)
Ultra-diffuse galaxies in the Auriga simulations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Linh B
(2021)
Investigation of the ground-state spin inversion in the neutron-rich Cl 47 , 49 isotopes
in Physical Review C
Liu Y
(2019)
Ring structure in the MWC 480 disk revealed by ALMA
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Lovell M
(2019)
The signal of decaying dark matter with hydrodynamical simulations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Lovell M
(2019)
Simulating the Dark Matter Decay Signal from the Perseus Galaxy Cluster
in The Astrophysical Journal Letters
Ludlow A
(2019)
Numerical convergence of simulations of galaxy formation: the abundance and internal structure of cold dark matter haloes
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Ludlow A
(2019)
Energy equipartition between stellar and dark matter particles in cosmological simulations results in spurious growth of galaxy sizes
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Lytle A
(2019)
$B_c$ spectroscopy using highly improved staggered quarks
MacFarlane B
(2019)
Observational signatures of outbursting protostars - I: From hydrodynamic simulations to observations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
MacFarlane B
(2019)
Observational signatures of outbursting protostars - II. Exploring a wide range of eruptive protostars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Mahler G
(2019)
RELICS: Strong Lensing Analysis of MACS J0417.5-1154 and Predictions for Observing the Magnified High-redshift Universe with JWST
in The Astrophysical Journal
Mahmoud R
(2019)
Reverberation reveals the truncated disc in the hard state of GX 339-4
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Maltman K
(2019)
Current Status of inclusive hadronic tau determinations of |V_us|
in SciPost Physics Proceedings
Marolf D
(2019)
Phases of holographic Hawking radiation on spatially compact spacetimes
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Martin G
(2019)
The formation and evolution of low-surface-brightness galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Mayne N
(2019)
The Limits of the Primitive Equations of Dynamics for Warm, Slowly Rotating Small Neptunes and Super Earths
in The Astrophysical Journal
McAlpine S
(2019)
The nature of submillimetre and highly star-forming galaxies in the EAGLE simulation
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
McLean E
(2019)
$B_s\to D^{(*)}_s l\nu$ form factors using heavy HISQ quarks
McLean E
(2019)
Lattice QCD form factor for B s ? D s * l ? at zero recoil with nonperturbative current renormalization
in Physical Review D
McNally C
(2019)
Migrating super-Earths in low-viscosity discs: unveiling the roles of feedback, vortices, and laminar accretion flows
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
McNally C
(2019)
Multiplanet systems in inviscid discs can avoid forming resonant chains
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Mellor T
(2019)
Transformation Properties under the Operations of the Molecular Symmetry Groups G36 and G36(EM) of Ethane H3CCH3
in Symmetry
Mercer A
(2020)
Planet formation around M dwarfs via disc instability Fragmentation conditions and protoplanet properties
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Merson A
(2019)
Linear bias forecasts for emission line cosmological surveys
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Meru F
(2019)
Is the ring inside or outside the planet?: the effect of planet migration on dust rings
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Mitchell M
(2019)
A general framework to test gravity using galaxy clusters II: A universal model for the halo concentration in f(R) gravity
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Moliné Á
(2019)
Properties of Subhalos in the Interacting Dark Matter Scenario
in Galaxies
Monachesi A
(2019)
The Auriga stellar haloes: connecting stellar population properties with accretion and merging history
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Monnier J
(2019)
Multiple Spiral Arms in the Disk around Intermediate-mass Binary HD 34700A
in The Astrophysical Journal
Muia F
(2019)
The fate of dense scalar stars
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Müller B
(2019)
Three-dimensional simulations of neutrino-driven core-collapse supernovae from low-mass single and binary star progenitors
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Naik A
(2019)
Constraints on chameleon f(R)-gravity from galaxy rotation curves of the SPARC sample
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Navarro J
(2019)
Baryon-induced dark matter cores in the eagle simulations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Nayakshin S
(2019)
ALMA observations require slower Core Accretion runaway growth
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Nazari P
(2019)
Revealing signatures of planets migrating in protoplanetary discs with ALMA multiwavelength observations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Nealon R
(2019)
Flyby-induced misalignments in planet-hosting discs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Nealon R
(2019)
Scattered light shadows in warped protoplanetary discs
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Nightingale J
(2019)
Galaxy structure with strong gravitational lensing: decomposing the internal mass distribution of massive elliptical galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Nishimura (????) N
(2019)
Uncertainties in ?p-process nucleosynthesis from Monte Carlo variation of reaction rates
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Nixon C
(2019)
What is wrong with steady accretion discs?
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Oleskiewicz P
(2019)
The connection between halo concentrations and assembly histories: a probe of gravity?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Owen J
(2020)
Testing exoplanet evaporation with multitransiting systems
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society