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
Ploeckinger S
(2024)
Resolution criteria to avoid artificial clumping in Lagrangian hydrodynamic simulations with a multiphase interstellar medium
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bennett J
(2020)
Resolving shocks and filaments in galaxy formation simulations: effects on gas properties and star formation in the circumgalactic medium
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
Pizzati E
(2024)
Revisiting the extreme clustering of z ˜ 4 quasars with large volume cosmological simulations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Zovaro H
(2022)
Revisiting the giant radio galaxy ESO 422-G028 - I. Discovery of a neutral inflow and recent star formation in a restarted giant
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Hamilton E
(2023)
Ringdown frequencies in black holes formed from precessing black-hole binaries
in Physical Review D
Semenov M
(2021)
Rovibronic spectroscopy of PN from first principles.
in Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP
Olsen K
(2021)
sígame v3: Gas Fragmentation in Postprocessing of Cosmological Simulations for More Accurate Infrared Line Emission Modeling
in The Astrophysical Journal
Santos-Santos I
(2021)
Satellite mass functions and the faint end of the galaxy mass-halo mass relation in LCDM
Santos-Santos I
(2022)
Satellite mass functions and the faint end of the galaxy mass-halo mass relation in LCDM
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
Braspenning J
(2023)
Sensitivity of non-radiative cloud-wind interactions to the hydrodynamic solver
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Braspenning J
(2022)
Sensitivity of non-radiative cloud-wind interactions to the hydrodynamics solver
Kume A
(2020)
Shape analysis of H ii regions - II. Synthetic observations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Campbell-White J
(2020)
Shape Analysis of HII Regions -- II. Synthetic Observations
Decataldo D
(2020)
Shaping the structure of a GMC with radiation and winds
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Decataldo D
(2020)
Shaping the structure of a GMC with radiation and winds
Hough R
(2023)
SIMBA - C : an updated chemical enrichment model for galactic chemical evolution in the SIMBA simulation
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Davé R
(2019)
simba: Cosmological simulations with black hole growth and feedback
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Sorini D
(2020)
simba: the average properties of the circumgalactic medium of 2 = z = 3 quasars are determined primarily by stellar feedback
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Arnold C
(2019)
Simulating galaxy formation in f(R) modified gravity: matter, halo, and galaxy statistics
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Yardley S
(2021)
Simulating the Coronal Evolution of Bipolar Active Regions to Investigate the Formation of Flux Ropes
in Solar Physics
Chaikin E
(2022)
Simulations of 60Fe entrained in ejecta from a near-Earth supernova: effects of observer motion
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Mou Z
(2021)
Simulations of a bubble wall interacting with an electroweak plasma
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Tress R
(2020)
Simulations of the Milky Way's central molecular zone - I. Gas dynamics
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Sormani M
(2020)
Simulations of the Milky Way's Central Molecular Zone - II. Star formation
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Chan T
(2023)
Simulations of the reionization of the clumpy intergalactic medium with a novel particle-based two-moment radiative transfer scheme
in Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union
Tress R
(2020)
Simulations of the star-forming molecular gas in an interacting M51-like galaxy
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Treß R
(2021)
Simulations of the star-forming molecular gas in an interacting M51-like galaxy: cloud population statistics
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Chan T
(2021)
Smoothed particle radiation hydrodynamics: two-moment method with local Eddington tensor closure
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Smith A
(2022)
Solving small-scale clustering problems in approximate light-cone mocks
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Brady S
(2023)
Solving the initial conditions problem for modified gravity theories
in Physical Review D
Borrow J
(2022)
Sphenix : smoothed particle hydrodynamics for the next generation of galaxy formation simulations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society