Acquisition of High-Performance Scientific Computing Cluster for Theoretical Physics

New York University, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

This award will allow the Department of Physics at New York University to set up a cluster of advanced workstations (48 nodes of dual 866 MHz Pentium III processors) to support computationally intensive research in a number of areas of theoretical physics and astrophysics. The proposed research projects include: 1) properties of atmospheric particle showers induced by ultra-high-energy cosmic rays [Farrar]; 2) simulation of astrophysical magnetic fields [Farrar in collaboration with Goodman and others]; 3) magnetically controlled electrical transport in layered structures [Levy]; 4) statistical mechanics of simple and complex fluids [Percus]; 5) structure formation in the early universe [Scoccimarro and Zaldarriaga]; 6) asymptotic freedom in two-dimensional $\sigma$-models, and the critical behavior of Potts antiferromagnets and of self-avoiding random walk [Sokal];and 7) confinement mechanisms in lattice quantum chromodynamics [Zwanziger]. The proposed research making use of this cluster will also provide training in high-performance scientific computing for the Department's graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and visiting faculty from other institutions, using a variety of programming languages (Fortran, C, C++, Mathematica) and advanced scientific software. This training in advanced computational techniques will be of benefit by providing broadly applicable skills, not only to those graduate students who pursue subsequent careers in academic research, but also to those who go on to careers in industrial R+D and elsewhere in society.