A supercomputer facility in Edinburgh is providing 98,384 computing cores to physicists trying to understand how the Universe works at its most fundamental level. The problem is that progress in astronomy, nuclear physics, and particle physics now depends on large-scale computations. These calculations let researchers test their theories against experimental data with high accuracy, or interrogate data to extract information that shapes those theories. The distance scales involved span 50 orders of magnitude—from experiments deep inside the atomic nucleus at the Large Hadron Collider to galaxy clusters across the cosmos. Without powerful computing, these connections remain untested. This project is fundamental science with no immediate practical application. It maintains and expands the DiRAC high-performance computing facility, which already serves around 80% of DiRAC computing cycles. A team of three research software engineers will help scientists optimise their code to extract maximum performance from the hardware. Past fundamental research of this kind has led to unexpected breakthroughs in data mining, visualisation, and code optimisation—techniques that later found uses in industry, from weather forecasting to materials design. Deeper understanding of the Universe’s fabric could, over time, open doors no one yet anticipates.
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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. DiRAC-2.5 will provide maintain the existing DiRAC-2 services from April 2017, and also provide and increase in computational resources at Durham, Cambridge and Leicester. This grant will support the operation of the Edinburgh DiRAC services, which presently comprise 98384 operational computing cores serving around 80% of DiRAC computing cycles. The system is made up from both the original 1.26PFlop/s DiRAC BlueGene/Q system and, following a recent transfer to Edinburgh by STFC, six racks of the Hartree BlueJoule supercomputer. The DiRAC project also will offer a team of three research software engineers who will help DiRAC researchers to ensure their scientific codes to extract the best possible performance from the hardware components of the DiRAC clusters. These highly skilled programmers will increase the effective computational power of the DiRAC facility during 2017.
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