DiRAC: Memory Intensive 2.5x
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 more than 250
papers annually in international, peer-reviewed journals. However, the
DiRAC2 hardware is now at least 5 years old and is therefore at
significant risk of failure. The loss of any one of the DiRAC2
services would have a potentially disastrous impact on the research
communities which rely on it to deliver their scientific research. The
main purpose of the requested funding for the DiRAC2.5x project is to
replace the ageing DiRAC2 hardware at Durham, Edinburgh and Leicester
while taking advantage of recent hardware advances to provide some new
capabilities (e.g. i/o acceleration using flash storage) as prototypes
for the proposed DiRAC3 services.
The DiRAC-2.5x project builds on the success of the DiRAC-2.5 HPC facility and will provide the resources needed
to support cutting edge research starting from 1/4/2018 in all areas of science supported by STFC.
Specifically the funding sort by Durham will allow:
A factor 2 increase in the size of calculation that can be run at Durham, and a 50% increase in the
available computing power (assuming the current DiRAC-2.5 systems continue to operate at the current level).
The usage of the system will be decided by the DiRAC Resource Allocation Committee primarily,
but it is envisaged that the enhanced system will be used for very large calculations, for example, 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.
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 more than 250
papers annually in international, peer-reviewed journals. However, the
DiRAC2 hardware is now at least 5 years old and is therefore at
significant risk of failure. The loss of any one of the DiRAC2
services would have a potentially disastrous impact on the research
communities which rely on it to deliver their scientific research. The
main purpose of the requested funding for the DiRAC2.5x project is to
replace the ageing DiRAC2 hardware at Durham, Edinburgh and Leicester
while taking advantage of recent hardware advances to provide some new
capabilities (e.g. i/o acceleration using flash storage) as prototypes
for the proposed DiRAC3 services.
The DiRAC-2.5x project builds on the success of the DiRAC-2.5 HPC facility and will provide the resources needed
to support cutting edge research starting from 1/4/2018 in all areas of science supported by STFC.
Specifically the funding sort by Durham will allow:
A factor 2 increase in the size of calculation that can be run at Durham, and a 50% increase in the
available computing power (assuming the current DiRAC-2.5 systems continue to operate at the current level).
The usage of the system will be decided by the DiRAC Resource Allocation Committee primarily,
but it is envisaged that the enhanced system will be used for very large calculations, for example, 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.
Planned Impact
The anticipated impact of the DiRAC2.5x 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 DiRAC2.5x 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 Je-S form from Leicester, describes the overall industrial strategy for DiRAC2.5x,
including our strategic goals and key performance indicators.
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 DiRAC2.5x 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 Je-S form from Leicester, describes the overall industrial strategy for DiRAC2.5x,
including our strategic goals and key performance indicators.
Organisations
Publications
Bennett J
(2024)
The growth of the gargantuan black holes powering high-redshift quasars and their impact on the formation of early galaxies and protoclusters
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
Beraldo e Silva L
(2021)
Co-formation of the thin and thick discs revealed by APOGEE-DR16 and Gaia -DR2
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bernal N
(2022)
Rescuing High-Scale Leptogenesis using Primordial Black Holes
Bernal N
(2022)
Rescuing high-scale leptogenesis using primordial black holes
in Physical Review D
Bertulani C
(2021)
Examination of the sensitivity of quasifree reactions to details of the bound-state overlap functions
in Physical Review C
Bilimogga P
(2022)
Using eagle simulations to study the effect of observational constraints on the determination of H i asymmetries in galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bolton J
(2022)
Limits on non-canonical heating and turbulence in the intergalactic medium from the low redshift Lyman a forest
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bolton JS
(2022)
Comparison of Low-Redshift Lyman-a Forest Observations to Hydrodynamical Simulations with Dark Photon Dark Matter.
in Physical review letters
Borrow J
(2022)
Sphenix : smoothed particle hydrodynamics for the next generation of galaxy formation simulations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Borrow J
(2020)
Cosmological baryon transfer in the simba simulations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Borrow J
(2019)
Cosmological baryon transfer in the SIMBA simulations
Borrow J
(2021)
Inconsistencies arising from the coupling of galaxy formation sub-grid models to pressure-smoothed particle hydrodynamics
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Borrow J
(2023)
The impact of stochastic modelling on the predictive power of galaxy formation simulations
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bose B
(2020)
On the road to per cent accuracy IV: ReACT - computing the non-linear power spectrum beyond ?CDM
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bose S
(2023)
The MillenniumTNG Project: the large-scale clustering of galaxies
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bose S
(2018)
The Imprint of Cosmic Reionization on the Luminosity Function of Galaxies
in The Astrophysical Journal
Bose S
(2023)
The progenitor galaxies of stellar haloes as 'failed' Milky Ways
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bourne M
(2019)
AGN jet feedback on a moving mesh: lobe energetics and X-ray properties in a realistic cluster environment
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Bourne M
(2021)
AGN jet feedback on a moving mesh: gentle cluster heating by weak shocks and lobe disruption
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Brady S
(2023)
Solving the initial conditions problem for modified gravity theories
in Physical Review D
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
Brooks R
(2023)
The north-south asymmetry of the ALFALFA H i velocity width function
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Brough S
(2024)
Preparing for low surface brightness science with the Vera C. Rubin Observatory: a comparison of observable and simulated intracluster light fractions
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Brown S
(2020)
Connecting the structure of dark matter haloes to the primordial power spectrum
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Brown S
(2022)
Towards a universal model for the density profiles of dark matter haloes
in Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society
Buividovich P
(2021)
Static magnetic susceptibility in finite-density $$SU\left( 2\right) $$ lattice gauge theory
in The European Physical Journal A
Buividovich P
(2020)
Electric conductivity in finite-density S U ( 2 ) lattice gauge theory with dynamical fermions
in Physical Review D
Buividovich P
(2022)
Quantum chaos in supersymmetric quantum mechanics: an exact diagonalization study
Description | See Dirac annual report https://dirac.ac.uk |
Exploitation Route | See Dirac annual report https://dirac.ac.uk |
Sectors | Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education |
URL | https://dirac.ac.uk |