ACQUISITION OF A VERSATILE HIGH PERFORMANCE COMPUTING FACILITY FOR GRAVITATIONAL WAVE SOURCE

该奖项支持购买高性能计算设备，以支持引力波（GW）源理论的研究。这项工作将涉及本科生和研究生的研究和技术培训。该设备由一个具有千兆位网络的大型计算机集群（56个节点，每个节点有两个双核CPU）组成，专为GW源模拟的高计算效率与成本比而设计。此外，其中 16 个节点将配备专用硬件（GRAPE 板），用于恒星动力学中的直接 N 体模拟。主要存储组件也是拟议系统的一部分。模拟结果的可视化将用于研究分析和培训以及附近阿德勒天文馆的公共宣传演示。为此，将通过收购由具有高级图形功能的 7 个节点组成的小型集群操作的平铺墙显示器（近 2500 万像素）来实现这一开发工作。所有获得的仪器将用于广泛的计算天体物理项目，涉及双星演化和致密天体形成、恒星动力学和流体动力学。这些结果将极大地提高对当前激光干涉仪探测器最重要的引力波源的理解，并且还将有助于对未来引力波观测进行更好的物理解释。具体项目的例子包括：（i）对由引力波发射驱动的二元致密天体种群进行建模；主要目标是将经验约束应用于理论模型，并得出二元吸气检测率和源特性测量的可靠预测。 (ii) 致密星团中黑洞的动力学模拟；这些系统中频繁的动态相互作用可能导致大量合并黑洞双星的形成，并且可能是 LIGO 等地基干涉仪可检测到的黑洞合并的主要来源。 (iii) 包含黑洞和中子星的致密双星最终合并的流体动力学计算；这些将使用复杂的 3-D 相对论流体动力学代码进行，并且将比以前基于牛顿重力的更近似处理方法进行显着改进。引力波源的研究在天体物理学的许多其他领域也很重要。例如，聚结致密双星也可能是伽马射线暴的来源，它们可能在星系中许多重元素的产生中发挥关键作用。该仪器支持的研究活动将涉及对多名本科生和研究生的培训，其中包括来自代表性不足的少数族裔的学生。一名研究高性能计算的研究生和一个由大约十名本科生组成的团队也将接受仪器采购、设置和调试各个阶段的培训。

This award supports the acquisition of high-performance computing equipment that will enable research on the theory of gravitational-wave (GW) sources. The work will involve both research and technology training of undergraduate and graduate students. The equipment consists of a large computer cluster (56 nodes, each with two dual-core CPUs) with gigabit networking, designed for high computational efficiency-to-cost ratio for GW source simulations. In addition, 16 of the nodes will be equipped with specialized hardware (GRAPE boards) for direct N-body simulations in stellar dynamics. A major storage component is also part of the proposed system. Visualizations from the simulation results will be developed for use in both research analysis and training as well as for public outreach presentations at the nearby Adler Planetarium. For this development effort will be enabled by the acquisition of a Tiled Wall Display (almost 25 million pixels) operated by a small cluster of 7 nodes with high-level graphics capabilities. All the acquired instrumentation will be used in a wide range of computational astrophysics projects on binary star evolution and compact object formation, stellar dynamics, and hydrodynamics. The results will greatly improve the understanding of the most important GW sources for current laser interferometer detectors, and they will also allow for better physical interpretation of future GW observations. Examples of specific projects include: (i) modeling populations of binary compact objects driven to inspiral by GW emission; the primary goal is the application of empirical constraints to theoretical models and the derivation of reliable predictions for binary inspiral detection rates and for measurements of source properties. (ii) dynamical simulations of black holes in dense star clusters; frequent dynamical interactions in these systems can lead to the formation of large numbers of merging black hole binaries and may be the dominant source of detectable black hole mergers for ground-based interferometers such as LIGO. (iii) hydrodynamic calculations of the final mergers of compact binaries containing a black hole and a neutron star; these will be performed using a sophisticated 3-D relativistic hydrodynamics code and will represent a significant improvement over previous, more approximate treatments based on Newtonian gravity. The study of GW sources is also important in many other areas of astrophysics. For example, coalescing compact binaries may also be sources of gamma-ray bursts, and they may play a key role for the production of many heavy elements in galaxies. The research activities enabled by this instrumentation will involve the training of several undergraduate and graduate students, including students from under-represented minorities. A graduate student studying high performance computing and a team of up to about ten undergraduates will also be trained in all phases of the instrument acquisition, set-up, and commissioning.