Petascale plasma physics simulations using PIC codes

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This award facilitates scientific research using the large, new, computational resource named Blue Waters being developed by IBM and scheduled to be deployed at the University of Illinois. It provides travel funds to support technical coordination between the principal investigators, the Blue Waters project team and the vendor technical team. The project team will use Blue Waters to advance the joint research goals of the UCLA Simulation of Plasmas Group and the OSIRIS Consortium. Those research goals encompass four distinct plasma physics questions which rely on simulations using particle in cell (PIC) algorithms. These algorithms are implemented in six different codes maintained by the UCLA Plasma Simulation Group and the OSIRIS Consortium. The project will bring this PIC infrastructure to Blue Waters to address four plasma physics grand challenge simulations: first 3D simulation of an assembled fast ignition target with a size of interest for fusion energy; exploration of the mechanisms of cosmic accelerators associated with relativistic collisionless shocks; simulations with the necessary spatial resolution to explore relativistically moving plasma waves as an alternative accelerating structure (to current particle accelerators); regional 3D PIC simulations capable of identifying substorm onset in the Earth magnetotail. PIC codes are used to make scientific discoveries that impact diverse fields with significant societal impact such as high-energy physics, fusion energy, and reliability of communication satellites. The proposed research also has much synergy with the new Institute for Digital Research and Education (IDRE). This will allow results to broadly impact research and education at UCLA.