MRI: Acquisition of a Graphics Processor Unit-Accelerated High Performance Computer for Astrophysics, Computer Science, and Broad Numerical Research at the University of Arizona

由于计算能力的持续快速增长，对大量粒子(从原子到恒星)的计算机模拟和模型已经成为验证物质大集合体如何形成和演化的理论的有力手段。现在，在计算机中跟踪数万亿个物体是可能的，因为它们受到不同环境条件(重力、压力、密度、温度以及灰尘、气体、强磁场甚至暗物质的存在)的影响。这些模拟向我们展示了恒星、行星和星系可能是如何形成、演化和消亡的，要么是悄悄地形成的，要么是在像超级新星这样的猛烈爆炸中死亡的。这些计算机模拟对科学家来说是宝贵的工具，它们还使计算机程序员能够产生这些相同现象的“可视化”(基本上是2-D或3-D电影)，现在广泛用于在计算机显示器或投影仪屏幕上显示复杂的交互作用，供所有人欣赏。广受欢迎的电脑游戏和科幻电影推动了数字电子行业创造出能够非常快速、高效地处理数字图片的“图形处理单元”。这样的图形处理器现在在智能手机、游戏机和个人电脑中很常见。在更大的规模上，科学家们现在除了使用早期计算机时代更传统的中央处理单元(CPU)之外，还使用GPU来制造具有非常高的功率和速度的大型并行处理机(具有数百个GPU和CPU)来执行这些复杂的计算和操作。亚利桑那大学的布兰特·罗伯逊博士正在领导一个团队，他们将组建这样一个计算机集群来回答理论天体物理学中的问题。新的高性能计算机也将供大学的教职员工和学生普遍使用。这台计算机的资金是由NSF的天文科学部通过重大研究仪器计划提供的。

Due to the ongoing rapid increase in computing power, computer simulations and models of large numbers of particles (from atoms to stars) has become a powerful means of verifying theories of how large aggregates of matter form and evolve. It is now possible for literally trillions of objects to be followed in a computer as they are influenced by varying environmental conditions (gravity, pressure, density, temperature as well as the presence of dust, gas, strong magnetic fields, and even dark matter). These simulations show us how stars, planets, and galaxies may have formed, evolved, and died either quietly or in a violent explosion such as a Super Nova. These computer simulations are valuable tools for scientists and they also enable the computer programmers to produce "visualizations" (essentially movies, in 2- or 3-D) of these same phenomenon that are now widely used to show complex interactions on a computer monitor or projector screen to be enjoyed by all. Highly popular computer games and science fiction movies have driven the digital electronics industry to create "graphics processing units" that can very rapidly and efficiently manipulate digital pictures. Such GPUs are now common in smart phones, game consoles, and personal computers. On a much larger scale, scientists are now using GPUs in addition to the more traditional Central Processing Units (CPUs) of early computer days, to make large parallel processing machines (with hundreds of GPUs and CPUs) of very high power and speed to perform these complex calculations and manipulations. Dr. Brant Robertson of the University of Arizona is leading a team who will put together such a computer cluster to answer questions in theoretical astrophysics. The new high performance computer will also be available for general use by faculty and students at the University. Funding for this computer is provided by NSF's Division of Astronomical Sciences through the Major Research Instrumentation program.