Parallel Computing Resources for the UK MHD Community
Lead Research Organisation:
University of St Andrews
Department Name: Mathematics and Statistics
Abstract
Virtually all material in the universe consists of an ionised gas called a plasma. Plasmas conduct electricity and interact with magnetic fields, producing many physical phenomena not easily reproduced in laboratories on Earth. The large-scale behaviour of these plasmas can be predicted by using a known set of complicated mathematical equations, called the equations of Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). The solutions of MHD equations can describe the behaviour of plasmas in which collisions dominate the physical processes, such as (i) the generation of magnetic fields through a process known as dynamo action, (ii) the release of a staggering amount of magnetic energy in a large solar flare by magnetic reconnection, (iii) the small scale chaotic motions of turbulence in a magnetised plasma, (iv) the fact that solar atmosphere is much hotter than the solar surface and (v) the way in which gigantic eruptions of solar plasma interact with the Earth's magnetic field to produce the Aurora. When collisional effects are weak, in low-density plasmas and in problems involving short length-scales, the more fundamental kinetic equations must be solved. However, the solution of both sets of equations require extremely large computers and the best way is to link several hundred computers together and get them all working on a fraction of the large problem. These computers are called parallel computers. The UK effort in this research area is at the forefront of the worldwide effort to understand how the Sun, the Solar System and astrophysical plasmas work. While this work is essentially theoretical, it is driven by the observations of the present fleet of solar and astrophysical ground and space-based observatories.
Organisations
Publications
Zhang K
(2013)
The non-resonant response of fluid in a rapidly rotating sphere undergoing longitudinal libration
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
ZHANG K
(2009)
The onset of convection in rotating circular cylinders with experimental boundary conditions
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Zhang K
(2010)
On fluid flows in precessing spheres in the mantle frame of reference
in Physics of Fluids
ZHANG K
(2011)
On fluid motion in librating ellipsoids with moderate equatorial eccentricity
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Zaqarashvili T
(2010)
Oscillations and Waves in Solar Spicules
in Space Science Reviews
Yeates AR
(2010)
Topological constraints on magnetic relaxation.
in Physical review letters
Yeates A
(2011)
A generalized flux function for three-dimensional magnetic reconnection
in Physics of Plasmas
Yeates A
(2013)
Unique topological characterization of braided magnetic fields
in Physics of Plasmas
Yeates A
(2013)
Kinematic active region formation in a three-dimensional solar dynamo model
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Yeates A
(2011)
Dynamical constraints from field line topology in magnetic flux tubes
in Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical
Yeates A
(2012)
Lagrangian coherent structures in photospheric flows and their implications for coronal magnetic structure
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Yeates A
(2010)
Solar Cycle Variation of Magnetic Flux Ropes in a Quasi-Static Coronal Evolution Model
in Solar Physics
Yeates A
(2014)
The coronal energy input from magnetic braiding
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Yeates A
(2013)
Coronal Magnetic Field Evolution from 1996 to 2012: Continuous Non-potential Simulations
in Solar Physics
Wyper P
(2012)
Spine-fan reconnection The influence of temporal and spatial variation in the driver
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Wyper P
(2013)
Reconnection at three dimensional magnetic null points: Effect of current sheet asymmetry
in Physics of Plasmas
Wyper P
(2013)
Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in a current-vortex sheet at a 3D magnetic null
in Physics of Plasmas
Woolley R
(2013)
Experimental measurement and Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes modelling of the near-field structure of multi-phase CO2 jet releases
in International Journal of Greenhouse Gas Control
Wilmot-Smith A
(2011)
Heating of braided coronal loops
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Wilmot-Smith A
(2009)
MAGNETIC BRAIDING AND PARALLEL ELECTRIC FIELDS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Wilmot-Smith A
(2010)
Dynamics of braided coronal loops I. Onset of magnetic reconnection
in Astronomy and Astrophysics
Wilmot-Smith A
(2009)
MAGNETIC BRAIDING AND QUASI-SEPARATRIX LAYERS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Wareing C
(2012)
RECONCILING THE EMISSION MECHANISM DISCREPANCY IN MIRA'S TAIL AND ITS EVOLUTION IN AN INTERFACE WITH SHEAR
in The Astrophysical Journal
Wareing C
(2013)
A composite equation of state for the modeling of sonic carbon dioxide jets in carbon capture and storage scenarios
in AIChE Journal
Vidotto A
(2013)
Effects of M dwarf magnetic fields on potentially habitable planets
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Tsiklauri David
(2009)
Missing pieces of the solar jigsaw puzzle
in ASTRONOMY & GEOPHYSICS
Tsiklauri D
(2010)
Vlasov - Maxwell, Self-consistent Electromagnetic Wave Emission Simulations in the Solar Corona
in Solar Physics
Tsiklauri D
(2012)
Three dimensional particle-in-cell simulation of particle acceleration by circularly polarised inertial Alfven waves in a transversely inhomogeneous plasma
in Physics of Plasmas
Tsiklauri D
(2011)
Galaxy rotation curves: the effect of $\vec{j} \times\vec{B}$ force
in Astrophysics and Space Science
Tsiklauri D
(2011)
Heating of solar chromosphere by electromagnetic wave absorption in a plasma slab model
in Physics of Plasmas
Tsiklauri D
(2011)
An alternative to the plasma emission model: Particle-in-cell, self-consistent electromagnetic wave emission simulations of solar type III radio bursts
in Physics of Plasmas
Tsiklauri D
(2011)
Particle acceleration by circularly and elliptically polarised dispersive Alfven waves in a transversely inhomogeneous plasma in the inertial and kinetic regimes
in Physics of Plasmas
Tobias S
(2011)
ON THE GENERATION OF ORGANIZED MAGNETIC FIELDS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Tobias S
(2011)
ASTROPHYSICAL FLUID DYNAMICS VIA DIRECT STATISTICAL SIMULATION
in The Astrophysical Journal
Tobias S
(2013)
On the measurement of the turbulent diffusivity of a large-scale magnetic field
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Thurgood J
(2012)
Linear and nonlinear MHD mode coupling of the fast magnetoacoustic wave about a 3D magnetic null point
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Teed R
(2012)
On the necessary conditions for bursts of convection within the rapidly rotating cylindrical annulus
in Physics of Fluids
Taroyan Y
(2009)
Heating Diagnostics with MHD Waves
in Space Science Reviews
Sreenivasan B
(2011)
Helicity generation and subcritical behaviour in rapidly rotating dynamos
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Simões P
(2013)
IMPLOSION OF CORONAL LOOPS DURING THE IMPULSIVE PHASE OF A SOLAR FLARE
in The Astrophysical Journal
Simitev R
(2012)
HOW FAR CAN MINIMAL MODELS EXPLAIN THE SOLAR CYCLE?
in The Astrophysical Journal
Simitev R
(2009)
Bistability and hysteresis of dipolar dynamos generated by turbulent convection in rotating spherical shells
in EPL (Europhysics Letters)
Silvers L
(2009)
Interactions between magnetohydrodynamic shear instabilities and convective flows in the solar interior
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Shelyag S
(2009)
Acoustic wave propagation in the solar sub-photosphere with localised magnetic field concentration: effect of magnetic tension
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Scullion E
(2009)
JETS IN POLAR CORONAL HOLES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Schrijver C
(2013)
PATHWAYS OF LARGE-SCALE MAGNETIC COUPLINGS BETWEEN SOLAR CORONAL EVENTS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Schmitz H
(2013)
The effect of initial conditions on the electromagnetic radiation generation in type III solar radio bursts
in Physics of Plasmas
Russell A
(2013)
Production of small-scale Alfvén waves by ionospheric depletion, nonlinear magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling and phase mixing
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Russell A
(2013)
Solar flares and focused energy transport by MHD waves
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Russell A
(2013)
PROPAGATION OF ALFVÉNIC WAVES FROM CORONA TO CHROMOSPHERE AND CONSEQUENCES FOR SOLAR FLARES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Description | The computations carried out with this equipment has shown us how magnetic fields play a crucial role in many astrophysical objects such as the Sun, stars, accretion discs and galaxies. |
Exploitation Route | The research results will be used to extend our knowledge and suggest new areas for research. Our work has stimulated others to use many of our computational techniques in other areas of research. |
Sectors | Education,Other |