MRI: Acquisition of an Advanced Computer Cluster for Computational Relativity and Gravitation

该奖项支持收购高性能计算机集群，以支持计算相对论和引力中心(CCRG)的尖端研究，该中心最近在罗切斯特理工学院(RIT)成立。CCRG的研究计划将主要集中在引力物理和天体物理：涉及致密物体(如黑洞双星)的引力波源的建模和模拟，引力波信号的理论预测，星团和包含超大质量黑洞的活动星系核的演化，以及星系合并。计算机群将是CCRG引力波研究的主要计算平台，因此将在成功制定和完成中心的研究方案方面发挥关键作用。计算机集群支持的研究将有助于激光干涉仪引力波观测站的成功，因为它将主要用于产生用于分析引力波观测站数据的引力波形模板所需的数值相对论研究(例如，引力波源的数值模拟和模拟)。这项研究将建立在RIT小组之前在双星黑洞模拟方面的突破，导致EMOVING穿孔技术现在已经成为在超级计算机上进化黑洞双星(以及最近的中子星)的最流行的方法。为了继续发展这项技术，并增加其天体物理应用的数量，需要一种具有新的高速互通技术的新的专用集群。虽然这个计算机集群将主要用于数值相对论研究，但RIT的其他研究人员和学生也将从中受益，并从该集群将在CCRG创造的研究机会中受益。

This award supports the acquisition of a high-performance computer cluster to enable cutting-edge research at the Center for Computational Relativity and Gravitation (CCRG), recently formed at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Research programs at the CCRG will focus primarily on gravitational physics and astrophysics: modeling and simulation of gravitational wave sources involving compact objects, such as black-hole binaries, theoretical predictions of gravitational wave signals, evolution of star clusters and active galactic nuclei containing supermassive black holes, and galaxy mergers. The computer cluster will be the main computational platform for the gravitational wave research at the CCRG, and will therefore play a critical role in the successful development and completion of the Center's research programs. The research enabled by the computer cluster will contribute to the success of the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory (LIGO), since it will be used primarily for the numerical relativityresearch (e.g. numerical modeling and simulation of gravitational wave sources) needed to produce the gravitational waveform templates to be used in the analysis of LIGO's data. This research will build upon the RIT group's previous breakthrough in binary black hole simulation leading to the technique of Emoving punctures' that now has become the most popular method to evolve black-hole binaries (and recently neutron stars) on supercomputers. In order to continue the development of this technique, and to increase the number of its astrophysical applications, a new dedicated cluster with new high-speed intercommunication technology is required. While this computer cluster will be used predominantly for numerical relativity research, other researchers and students at RIT will also benefit from it and from the research opportunities that the cluster will create at the CCRG.