DiRAC 2.5 - the pathway to DiRAC Phase 3
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Leicester
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 DiRAC-2.5 project builds on the success of the DiRAC HPC facility and will provide the resources needed
to support cutting edge research during 2017 in all areas of science supported by STFC.
In particular, DiRAC-2.5 will provide:
1) A factor 2 increase in the computational power of the DiRAC supercomputer at the University of Durham, which is designed for simulations requiring large amounts of computer memory. The enhanced system will be used to:
(i) simulate the merger of pairs of black holes which generate gravitational waves such as those recently discovered by the LIGO consortium;
(ii) perform the most realistic simulations to date of the formation and evolution of galaxies in the Universe
(iii) carry out detailed simulations of the interior of the sun and of planetary interiors.
2) A new High Performance Computer whose particular architecture is well suited to the theoretical
problems that we want to tackle that utilise large amounts of data, either as input or
being generated at intermediate stages of our calculations. Two key challenges
that we will tackle are those of
(i) improving our understanding of the Milky Way through analysis of new data from the European
Space Agency's GAIA satellite and
(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.
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 DiRAC-2.5 project builds on the success of the DiRAC HPC facility and will provide the resources needed
to support cutting edge research during 2017 in all areas of science supported by STFC.
In particular, DiRAC-2.5 will provide:
1) A factor 2 increase in the computational power of the DiRAC supercomputer at the University of Durham, which is designed for simulations requiring large amounts of computer memory. The enhanced system will be used to:
(i) simulate the merger of pairs of black holes which generate gravitational waves such as those recently discovered by the LIGO consortium;
(ii) perform the most realistic simulations to date of the formation and evolution of galaxies in the Universe
(iii) carry out detailed simulations of the interior of the sun and of planetary interiors.
2) A new High Performance Computer whose particular architecture is well suited to the theoretical
problems that we want to tackle that utilise large amounts of data, either as input or
being generated at intermediate stages of our calculations. Two key challenges
that we will tackle are those of
(i) improving our understanding of the Milky Way through analysis of new data from the European
Space Agency's GAIA satellite and
(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.
Planned Impact
The expected impact of DiRAC-2.5 is fully described in the pathways to impact section of the case for support and includes:
1) Disseminating best practice in High Performance Computing software engineering throughout the theoretical Particle Physics, Astronomy and Nuclear physics communities in the UK as well as to industry partners.
2) Working on co-design projects with industry partners to improve future generations of hardware and software.
3) Development of new techniques in the area of High Performance Data Analytics which will benefit industry partners and researchers in other fields such as biomedicine, biology, engineering, economics and social science, and the natural environment who can use this new technology to improve research outcomes in their areas.
4) Share best practice on the design and operation of distributed HPC facilities with UK National e-Infrastructure partners.
5) Training of the next generation of research scientists of physical scientists to tackle problems effectively on state-of-the-art of High Performance Computing facilities. Such skills are much in demand from high-tech industry.
6) Engagement with the general public to promote interest in science, and to explain how our ability to solve complex problems using the latest computer technology leads to new scientific capabilities/insights. Engagement of this kind also naturally encourages the uptake of STEM subjects in schools.
1) Disseminating best practice in High Performance Computing software engineering throughout the theoretical Particle Physics, Astronomy and Nuclear physics communities in the UK as well as to industry partners.
2) Working on co-design projects with industry partners to improve future generations of hardware and software.
3) Development of new techniques in the area of High Performance Data Analytics which will benefit industry partners and researchers in other fields such as biomedicine, biology, engineering, economics and social science, and the natural environment who can use this new technology to improve research outcomes in their areas.
4) Share best practice on the design and operation of distributed HPC facilities with UK National e-Infrastructure partners.
5) Training of the next generation of research scientists of physical scientists to tackle problems effectively on state-of-the-art of High Performance Computing facilities. Such skills are much in demand from high-tech industry.
6) Engagement with the general public to promote interest in science, and to explain how our ability to solve complex problems using the latest computer technology leads to new scientific capabilities/insights. Engagement of this kind also naturally encourages the uptake of STEM subjects in schools.
Publications
Idini A
(2017)
Ab Initio Optical Potentials and Nucleon Scattering on Medium Mass Nuclei
in Acta Physica Polonica B
Harper A
(2023)
Finite-temperature effects on the x-ray absorption spectra of crystalline alumina from first principles
in AIP Advances
Decin L
(2021)
Evolution and Mass Loss of Cool Aging Stars: A Daedalean Story
in Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics
Humphries Jack
(2018)
Changes in the metallicity of gas giant planets due to pebble accretion
in arXiv e-prints
McNally Colin P.
(2018)
Low mass planet migration in Hall-affected disks
in arXiv e-prints
Bourne Martin A.
(2019)
AGN jet feedback on a moving mesh: lobe energetics and X-ray properties in a realistic cluster environment
in arXiv e-prints
Costa Tiago
(2017)
Quenching star formation with quasar outflows launched by trapped IR radiation
in ArXiv e-prints
Hu Shaoran
(2017)
Impact of Cosmological Satellites on Stellar Discs: Dissecting One Satellite at a Time
in ArXiv e-prints
Adamek Julian
(2018)
Bias and scatter in the Hubble diagram from cosmological large-scale structure
in arXiv e-prints
Katz Harley
(2016)
Interpreting ALMA Observations of the ISM During the Epoch of Reionisation
in ArXiv e-prints
Fiacconi Davide
(2017)
Galaxy formation simulations with spinning black holes: method and implementation
in ArXiv e-prints
Smith Matthew C.
(2017)
Supernova feedback in numerical simulations of galaxy formation: separating physics from numerics
in ArXiv e-prints
Katz Harley
(2018)
A Census of the LyC Photons that Form the UV Background During Reionization
in ArXiv e-prints
Gronow S
(2020)
SNe Ia from double detonations: Impact of core-shell mixing on the carbon ignition mechanism
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Lach F
(2022)
Type Iax supernovae from deflagrations in Chandrasekhar mass white dwarfs
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Gronow S
(2021)
Metallicity-dependent nucleosynthetic yields of Type Ia supernovae originating from double detonations of sub- M Ch white dwarfs
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Gronow S
(2021)
Double detonations of sub-M Ch CO white dwarfs: variations in Type Ia supernovae due to different core and He shell masses
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Welker C
(2018)
Caught in the rhythm I. How satellites settle into a plane around their central galaxy
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Blondin S
(2022)
StaNdaRT: a repository of standardised test models and outputs for supernova radiative transfer
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Lach F
(2022)
Models of pulsationally assisted gravitationally confined detonations with different ignition conditions
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Pagano P
(2020)
Effect of coronal loop structure on wave heating through phase mixing
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Chubb K
(2021)
The ExoMolOP database: Cross sections and k -tables for molecules of interest in high-temperature exoplanet atmospheres
in Astronomy & Astrophysics
Aurrekoetxea J
(2020)
Coherent gravitational waveforms and memory from cosmic string loops
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Cardoso V
(2023)
Curvature and dynamical spacetimes: can we peer into the quantum regime?
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Rosca-Mead R
(2019)
Inverse-chirp signals and spontaneous scalarisation with self-interacting potentials in stellar collapse
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Radia M
(2022)
Lessons for adaptive mesh refinement in numerical relativity
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Evstafyeva T
(2023)
Unequal-mass boson-star binaries: initial data and merger dynamics
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Aurrekoetxea J
(2023)
CTTK: a new method to solve the initial data constraints in numerical relativity
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Helfer T
(2022)
Malaise and remedy of binary boson-star initial data
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Figueras P
(2020)
Gravitational collapse in cubic Horndeski theories
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Gerosa D
(2022)
The irreducible mass and the horizon area of LIGO's black holes
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Adamek J
(2019)
Safely smoothing spacetime: backreaction in relativistic cosmological simulations
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Croft R
(2023)
The gravitational afterglow of boson stars
in Classical and Quantum Gravity
Lucini B
(2022)
Sp(4) gauge theories and beyond the standard model physics
in EPJ Web of Conferences
Ali A
(2020)
The effect of temperature-dependent viscosity and thermal conductivity on the onset of compressible convection
in Geophysical & Astrophysical Fluid Dynamics
Pamela S
(2022)
A generalised formulation of G-continuous Bezier elements applied to non-linear MHD simulations
in Journal of Computational Physics
Aurrekoetxea J
(2020)
The effects of potential shape on inhomogeneous inflation
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Balázs C
(2022)
Cosmological constraints on decaying axion-like particles: a global analysis
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Muia F
(2019)
The fate of dense scalar stars
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
De Jong E
(2022)
Primordial black hole formation with full numerical relativity
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Pedersen C
(2020)
Massive neutrinos and degeneracies in Lyman-alpha forest simulations
in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics
Allanson O
(2020)
Particle-in-Cell Experiments Examine Electron Diffusion by Whistler-Mode Waves: 2. Quasi-Linear and Nonlinear Dynamics
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Allanson O
(2019)
Particle-in-cell Experiments Examine Electron Diffusion by Whistler-mode Waves: 1. Benchmarking With a Cold Plasma
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Allanson O
(2021)
Electron Diffusion and Advection During Nonlinear Interactions With Whistler-Mode Waves
in Journal of Geophysical Research: Space Physics
Bennett E
(2019)
Sp (4) gauge theories on the lattice: Nf = 2 dynamical fundamental fermions
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Cheung G
(2017)
Tetraquark operators in lattice QCD and exotic flavour states in the charm sector
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Ryan S
(2021)
Excited and exotic bottomonium spectroscopy from lattice QCD
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Badger S
(2023)
Isolated photon production in association with a jet pair through next-to-next-to-leading order in QCD
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Andrade T
(2022)
Evidence for violations of Weak Cosmic Censorship in black hole collisions in higher dimensions
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Drach V
(2021)
Scattering of Goldstone bosons and resonance production in a composite Higgs model on the lattice
in Journal of High Energy Physics
Description | Many new discoveries about the formation and evolution of galaxies, star formation, planet formation have been made possible by the award. |
Exploitation Route | Many international collaborative projects are supported by the HPC resources provided by DiRAC. |
Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education |
URL | http://www.dirac.ac.uk |
Description | Major co-design project with Hewlett Packard Enterprise, including partnership in the HPE/Arm/Suse Catalyst UK programme. |
First Year Of Impact | 2017 |
Sector | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software) |
Impact Types | Societal |
Description | DiRAC 2.5x Project Office 2017-2020 |
Amount | £300,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 02/2018 |
End | 03/2020 |
Title | Citation analysys and Impact |
Description | Use of IT to determineacademic impact of eInfrastructure |
Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
Year Produced | 2017 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Impact | Understood emerging trends in DiRAC Science and helped decide the scale and type of IT investments and direct us to develop new technologies |
URL | http://www.dirac.ac.uk |
Description | Co-design project with Hewlett Packard Enterprise |
Organisation | Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Technical support and operations costs for running the hardware. Research workflows to test the system performance, and investment of academic time and software engineering time to optimise code for new hardware. Project will explore suitability of hardware for DiRAC workflows and provide feedback to HPE. |
Collaborator Contribution | In-kind provision of research computing hardware. Value is commercially confidential. |
Impact | As this collaboration is about to commence, there are no outcomes to report at this point. |
Start Year | 2018 |
Description | Nuclei from Lattice QCD |
Organisation | RIKEN |
Department | RIKEN-Nishina Center for Accelerator-Based Science |
Country | Japan |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Surrey performed ab initio studies of LQCD-derived nuclear forces |
Collaborator Contribution | Work by Prof. Hatsuda and collaborators at the iTHEMS and Quantum Hadron Physics Laboratory to provide nuclear forces derived from LQCD |
Impact | Phys. Rev. C 97, 021303(R) |
Start Year | 2015 |
Description | STFC Centres for Doctoral Training in Data Intensive Science |
Organisation | University of Leicester |
Department | STFC DiRAC Complexity Cluster (HPC Facility Leicester) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Support for STFC Centres for Doctoral Training (CDT) in Data Intensive Science - DiRAC is a partner in five of the eight of the newly established STFC CDTs, and is actively engaged with them in developing industrial partnerships. DiRAC is also offering placements to CDT students interested in Research Software Engineering roles. |
Collaborator Contribution | Students to work on interesting technical problems for DiRAC |
Impact | This is the first year |
Start Year | 2017 |
Description | Surrey-Saclay |
Organisation | Saclay Nuclear Research Centre |
Country | France |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Provided codes and know-how to develop GF Gorkov formalism and implementation. |
Collaborator Contribution | Help spreading and advertise my research |
Impact | Presentation of preliminary results at conference. Grant still ongoing. Results being written up. Output will be first ab-initio calculation of fully open shells. |
Start Year | 2010 |