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
Fedun V
(2009)
Oscillatory Response of the 3D Solar Atmosphere to the Leakage of Photospheric Motion
in Solar Physics
Maddox C
(2013)
Paid carers' experiences of caring for mechanically ventilated children at home: implications for services and training.
in Journal of child health care : for professionals working with children in the hospital and community
Gordovskyy M
(2014)
Particle acceleration and transport in reconnecting twisted loops in a stratified atmosphere
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
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
Gordovskyy M
(2011)
PARTICLE ACCELERATION BY MAGNETIC RECONNECTION IN A TWISTED CORONAL LOOP
in The Astrophysical Journal
Gordovskyy M
(2010)
Particle acceleration in a transient magnetic reconnection event
in Astronomy and Astrophysics
Gordovskyy M
(2010)
PARTICLE ACCELERATION IN FRAGMENTING PERIODIC RECONNECTING CURRENT SHEETS IN SOLAR FLARES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Schrijver C
(2013)
PATHWAYS OF LARGE-SCALE MAGNETIC COUPLINGS BETWEEN SOLAR CORONAL EVENTS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Baty H
(2009)
Petschek reconnection with a nonlocalized resistivity
in Physics of Plasmas
Baty H
(2009)
Petschek-like reconnection with uniform resistivity
in Physics of Plasmas
Gruszecki M
(2010)
Phenomenon of Alfvénic vortex shedding.
in Physical review letters
Jones C
(2011)
Planetary Magnetic Fields and Fluid Dynamos
in Annual Review of Fluid Mechanics
Cattaneo F
(2009)
Problems with kinematic mean field electrodynamics at high magnetic Reynolds numbers
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
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)
PROPAGATION OF ALFVÉNIC WAVES FROM CORONA TO CHROMOSPHERE AND CONSEQUENCES FOR SOLAR FLARES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Komissarov S
(2010)
Rarefaction acceleration of ultrarelativistic magnetized jets in gamma-ray burst sources Rarefaction acceleration of magnetized GRB jets
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Wareing C
(2012)
RECONCILING THE EMISSION MECHANISM DISCREPANCY IN MIRA'S TAIL AND ITS EVOLUTION IN AN INTERFACE WITH SHEAR
in The Astrophysical Journal
Wyper P
(2013)
Reconnection at three dimensional magnetic null points: Effect of current sheet asymmetry
in Physics of Plasmas
Maclean R
(2008)
Relationship between the topological skeleton, current concentrations, and 3D magnetic reconnection sites in the solar atmosphere
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Busse F
(2011)
Remarks on some typical assumptions in dynamo theory
in Geophysical & Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics
Pascoe D
(2008)
Sausage oscillations in loops with a non-uniform cross-section
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Moschou S
(2012)
SDO Observations of Solar Jets
in Solar Physics
Gruszecki M
(2011)
Slow magnetacoustic waves in magnetic arcades
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Favier B
(2011)
Small-scale dynamo action in rotating compressible convection
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
D Simitev R
(2012)
Solar cycle properties described by simple convection-driven dynamos
in Physica Scripta
Yeates A
(2010)
Solar Cycle Variation of Magnetic Flux Ropes in a Quasi-Static Coronal Evolution Model
in Solar Physics
Russell A
(2013)
Solar flares and focused energy transport by MHD waves
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Meyer K
(2013)
Solar Magnetic Carpet III: Coronal Modelling of Synthetic Magnetograms
in Solar Physics
Lamb D
(2013)
SOLAR MAGNETIC TRACKING. IV. THE DEATH OF MAGNETIC FEATURES
in The Astrophysical Journal
Wyper P
(2012)
Spine-fan reconnection The influence of temporal and spatial variation in the driver
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Galsgaard K
(2011)
Steady state reconnection at a single 3D magnetic null point
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Komissarov S
(2010)
Supercollapsars and their X-ray bursts
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Lapenta G
(2013)
SWIFF: Space weather integrated forecasting framework
in Journal of Space Weather and Space Climate
Hughes D
(2011)
The a-effect in rotating convection: a comparison of numerical simulations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Yeates A
(2014)
The coronal energy input from magnetic braiding
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Pechhacker R
(2012)
The effect of electron beam pitch angle and density gradient on solar type III radio bursts
in Physics of Plasmas
Morton R
(2009)
The effect of elliptic shape on the period ratio P ${_{1}}$/ P ${_{2}}$ of emerging coronal loops
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Schmitz H
(2013)
The effect of initial conditions on the electromagnetic radiation generation in type III solar radio bursts
in Physics of Plasmas
Mizerski K
(2011)
The effect of stratification and compressibility on anelastic convection in a rotating plane layer
in Geophysical & Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics
Hughes D
(2013)
The effect of velocity shear on dynamo action due to rotating convection
in Journal of Fluid Mechanics
Archontis V
(2013)
THE EMERGENCE OF WEAKLY TWISTED MAGNETIC FIELDS IN THE SUN
in The Astrophysical Journal
Bareford M
(2011)
The Flare-Energy Distributions Generated by Kink-Unstable Ensembles of Zero-Net-Current Coronal Loops
in Solar Physics
Aschwanden M
(2009)
THE HYDRODYNAMIC EVOLUTION OF IMPULSIVELY HEATED CORONAL LOOPS: EXPLICIT ANALYTICAL APPROXIMATIONS
in The Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series
Bushby P
(2010)
The influence of a-effect fluctuations and the shear-current effect upon the behaviour of solar mean-field dynamo models a-Effect fluctuations in a solar dynamo model
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Jess D
(2013)
THE INFLUENCE OF THE MAGNETIC FIELD ON RUNNING PENUMBRAL WAVES IN THE SOLAR CHROMOSPHERE
in The Astrophysical Journal
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
Jess D
(2012)
THE ORIGIN OF TYPE I SPICULE OSCILLATIONS
in The Astrophysical Journal
Jones C
(2009)
The Solar Dynamo
in Space Science Reviews
Meyer K
(2013)
THE STORAGE AND DISSIPATION OF MAGNETIC ENERGY IN THE QUIET SUN CORONA DETERMINED FROM SDO /HMI MAGNETOGRAMS
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 |