DiRAC: Memory Intensive 2.5y
Lead Research Organisation:
Durham University
Department Name: Physics
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 and which 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.
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 and which 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 the lead (Leicester) proposal describes the overall industrial strategy for the DiRAC facility, including our strategic goals and key performance indicators.
Organisations
Publications
Desmond H
(2023)
On the functional form of the radial acceleration relation
Desmond H
(2022)
Catalogues of voids as antihaloes in the local Universe
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters
Desmond H
(2023)
On the functional form of the radial acceleration relation
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Desmond H
(2021)
Catalogues of voids as antihalos in the local Universe
Despali G
(2020)
The lensing properties of subhaloes in massive elliptical galaxies in sterile neutrino cosmologies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
De Beer S
(2023)
Resolving the physics of quasar Ly a nebulae (RePhyNe): I. Constraining quasar host halo masses through circumgalactic medium kinematics
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Dickey C
(2021)
IQ Collaboratory. II. The Quiescent Fraction of Isolated, Low-mass Galaxies across Simulations and Observations
in The Astrophysical Journal
Dillamore A
(2021)
Merger-induced galaxy transformations in the ARTEMIS simulations
Dillamore A
(2022)
Merger-induced galaxy transformations in the artemis simulations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Dong-Páez C
(2022)
The Uchuu-SDSS galaxy lightcones: a clustering, RSD and BAO study
Downing E
(2023)
The many reasons that the rotation curves of low-mass galaxies can fail as tracers of their matter distributions
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Drach V
(2021)
Scattering of Goldstone bosons and resonance production in a composite Higgs model on the lattice
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Drewes N
(2021)
On the Dynamics of Low-viscosity Warped Disks around Black Holes
in The Astrophysical Journal
Driver S
(2022)
Galaxy And Mass Assembly (GAMA): Data Release 4 and the z < 0.1 total and z < 0.08 morphological galaxy stellar mass functions
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Eilers A
(2019)
Anomaly in the Opacity of the Post-reionization Intergalactic Medium in the Lya and Lyß Forest
in The Astrophysical Journal
Elbers W
(2023)
Persistent topology of the reionization bubble network - II. Evolution and classification
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Elliott E
(2021)
Efficient exploration and calibration of a semi-analytical model of galaxy formation with deep learning
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Elson E
(2023)
Measurements of the angular momentum-mass relations in the Simba simulation
in New Astronomy
Elson E
(2023)
Measurements of the angular momentum-mass relations in the Simba simulation
in New Astronomy
Elvis M
(2020)
Q wind code release: a non-hydrodynamical approach to modelling line-driven winds in active galactic nuclei
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Enzi W
(2021)
Joint constraints on thermal relic dark matter from strong gravitational lensing, the Ly a forest, and Milky Way satellites
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Errani R
(2021)
The asymptotic tidal remnants of cold dark matter subhaloes
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Errani R
(2020)
The asymptotic tidal remnants of cold dark matter subhalos
Errani R
(2022)
Structure and kinematics of tidally limited satellite galaxies in LCDM
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Evans T
(2022)
Observing EAGLE galaxies with JWST : predictions for Milky Way progenitors and their building blocks
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Evstafyeva T
(2023)
Measuring the ringdown scalar polarization of gravitational waves in Einstein-scalar-Gauss-Bonnet gravity
in Physical Review D
Feng J
(2024)
On the evolution of the observed mass-to-length relationship for star-forming filaments
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Ferlito F
(2023)
The MillenniumTNG Project: the impact of baryons and massive neutrinos on high-resolution weak gravitational lensing convergence maps
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Font A
(2022)
Quenching of satellite galaxies of Milky Way analogues: reconciling theory and observations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Font A
(2020)
The artemis simulations: stellar haloes of Milky Way-mass galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Font A
(2021)
Can cosmological simulations capture the diverse satellite populations of observed Milky Way analogues?
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Forouhar Moreno V
(2022)
Baryon-driven decontraction in Milky Way-mass haloes
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Forouhar Moreno V
(2022)
Galactic satellite systems in CDM, WDM and SIDM
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Fowlie A
(2022)
Nested Sampling for Frequentist Computation: Fast Estimation of Small p-Values.
in Physical review letters
Fu B
(2022)
A predictive and testable unified theory of fermion masses, mixing and leptogenesis
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Fumagalli M
(2020)
Detecting neutral hydrogen at z ? 3 in large spectroscopic surveys of quasars
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Fyfe L
(2021)
Forward modelling of heating within a coronal arcade
in Astronomy & Astrophysics