DiRAC 2.5y - Networks and Data Management
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
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
Aramburo-Garcia A
(2024)
Dark photon constraints from CMB temperature anisotropies
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Dhandha J
(2024)
Decaying turbulence in molecular clouds: how does it affect filament networks and star formation?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Nasir F
(2024)
Deep learning the intergalactic medium using Lyman-alpha forest at 4 = z = 5
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Lawlor D
(2025)
Dense QC$_2$D: What's up with that?!?
Kesri K
(2024)
Dependence of Spicule Properties on the Magnetic Field-Results from Magnetohydrodynamics Simulations
in The Astrophysical Journal
Merrow A
(2024)
Did the Gaia Enceladus/Sausage merger form the Milky Way's bar?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
MacTaggart D
(2021)
Direct evidence that twisted flux tube emergence creates solar active regions.
in Nature communications
Zhang Z
(2024)
Disentangling the anisotropic radio sky: Fisher forecasts for 21 cm arrays
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Yeo J
(2024)
DK/Dp scattering and an exotic virtual bound state at the SU(3) flavour symmetric point from lattice QCD
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Ziampras A
(2025)
Dusty substructures induced by planets in ALMA discs: how dust growth and dynamics changes the picture
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Sanati M
(2024)
Dwarf galaxies as a probe of a primordially magnetized Universe
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Bourne M
(2024)
Dynamics and spin alignment in massive, gravito-turbulent circumbinary discs around supermassive black hole binaries
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Varghese A
(2024)
Effect of Rotation on Wave Mixing in Intermediate-mass Stars
in The Astrophysical Journal
Aurrekoetxea JC
(2024)
Effect of Wave Dark Matter on Equal Mass Black Hole Mergers.
in Physical review letters
Zerbo M
(2024)
Effective yields as tracers of feedback effects on metallicity scaling relations in the EAGLE cosmological simulations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Morison A
(2024)
Effects of stratification on overshooting and waves atop the convective core of M? main-sequence stars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Eilers A
(2024)
EIGER. VI. The Correlation Function, Host Halo Mass, and Duty Cycle of Luminous Quasars at z ? 6
in The Astrophysical Journal
Tahseen T
(2024)
Enhancing 3D planetary atmosphere simulations with a surrogate radiative transfer model
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Stiskalek R
(2024)
Evaluating the variance of individual halo properties in constrained cosmological simulations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Worthy J
(2024)
Evaluation of the bilinear condensate of the planar Thirring model in the strongly coupled region
in International Journal of Modern Physics C
Yurchenko S
(2024)
ExoMol line lists - LIII: empirical rovibronic spectra of yttrium oxide
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bowesman C
(2024)
ExoMol line lists - LV: hyperfine-resolved molecular line list for vanadium monoxide (51V16O)
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Yurchenko S
(2024)
ExoMol line lists - LVII. High accuracy ro-vibrational line list for methane (CH4)
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Owens A
(2024)
ExoMol line lists - LVIII. High-temperature molecular line list of carbonyl sulphide (OCS)
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Yurchenko S
(2024)
ExoMol line lists - LX. Molecular line list for the ammonia isotopologue 15NH3
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Lynas-Gray A
(2024)
ExoMol line lists - LXII. Ro-vibrational energy levels and line strengths for the propadienediylidene (C3) in its ground electronic state
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Yurchenko S
(2024)
ExoMol line lists-LIX. High-temperature line list for N2O
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Martin-Alvarez S
(2024)
Extragalactic Magnetism with SOFIA (SALSA Legacy Program). VII. A Tomographic View of Far-infrared and Radio Polarimetric Observations through MHD Simulations of Galaxies
in The Astrophysical Journal
Yang T
(2024)
Feedback-driven anisotropy in the circumgalactic medium for quenching galaxies in the simba simulations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Kong (??) S
(2024)
Filamentary Molecular Cloud Formation via Collision-induced Magnetic Reconnection in a Cold Neutral Medium
in The Astrophysical Journal
Vijayan A
(2024)
First Light And Reionisation Epoch Simulations (FLARES) - XII: The consequences of star-dust geometry on galaxies in the EoR
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Wilkins S
(2024)
First Light and Reionization Epoch Simulations ( flares ) - XIV. The Balmer/4000 Å breaks of distant galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Kirchschlager F
(2024)
From total destruction to complete survival: dust processing at different evolutionary stages in the supernova remnant Cassiopeia A
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Gessey-Jones T
(2024)
Fully Bayesian forecasts with evidence networks
in Physical Review D
Collier M
(2024)
Galaxy clustering in modified gravity from full-physics simulations - I. Two-point correlation functions
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Pallero D
(2024)
Galaxy evolution in modified gravity simulations: using galaxy properties to constrain our gravitational model
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Scholtz J
(2024)
GN-z11: The environment of an active galactic nucleus at z = 10.603 New insights into the most distant Ly a detection
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Saavedra-Bastidas J
(2024)
Gravitational collapse at low to moderate Mach numbers: The relationship between star formation efficiency and the fraction of mass in the massive object
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Ballard D
(2024)
Gravitational imaging through a triple source plane lens: revisiting the ?CDM-defying dark subhalo in SDSSJ0946+1006
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Barone T
(2024)
Gravitational lensing reveals cool gas within 10-20 kpc around a quiescent galaxy
in Communications Physics
Evstafyeva T
(2024)
Gravitational-Wave Data Analysis with High-Precision Numerical Relativity Simulations of Boson Star Mergers.
in Physical review letters
Aurrekoetxea J
(2024)
GRDzhadzha: A code for evolving relativistic matter on analytic metric backgrounds
in Journal of Open Source Software
Saló L
(2024)
GRFolres: A code for modified gravity simulations in strong gravity
in Journal of Open Source Software
Kalusche G
(2025)
Gribov copies in the quark propagator
in Physical Review D
Nicholson B
(2024)
HD152843 b & c: the masses and orbital periods of a sub-Neptune and a superpuff Neptune
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Prole L
(2024)
Heavy black hole seed formation in high- z atomic cooling halos
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Banfi A
(2024)
Higgs interference effects in top-quark pair production in the 1HSM
in Journal of High Energy Physics
| Title | Collaboration with Atempo |
| Description | Tape to Tape data transfter between DiRAC sites. |
| Type Of Technology | Software |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Open Source License? | Yes |
| Impact | Proof of COncept that data could be read from Tape stores remotely via a remote file system |
| Title | Fast Network Links for Durham and Cambridge Univeristies |
| Description | The Universeities and Cambridge are now linked by a highly performant Network |
| Type Of Technology | Physical Model/Kit |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Impact | Both HEIs are able to ingest data at a faster rate |
| Description | Member of UKRI E-Infrastructure Expert Panel 2017-2019 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Created 7 white papers for UKRI which detailed a Roadmap for future e-Infrastructure funding in the UK |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2017,2018,2019 |