The Theoretical and Experimental Particle Physics at the Exascale Frontier (ExaTEPP) project is part of the ExCALIBUR research programme. ExCALIBUR (Exascale Computing Algorithms and Infrastructures Benefiting UK Research) is a UK programme with the goal to deliver the next generation of high-performance simulation software for key fields in UK research. ExaTEPP aims to prepare the field of particle physics to take advantage of exascale computing.
Over the next decade, research in particle physics will see a significant increase in experimental data, leading to exabyte-scale datasets. To analyse datasets this large you need advanced simulation techniques that can be globally applied to exascale computing. ExaTEPP will develop novel algorithms for large-scale simulations and create the tools needed for the UK to exploit high-performance computing (HPC) and exascale technologies.
Meet the project partners:
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University of Sheffield – Lead Partner
The University of Sheffield is working on optimising the simulation of the interaction of particles with detectors. Such simulations require a very detailed description of the electromagnetic and nuclear interactions of the particles emitted in the collisions at the Large Hadron Collider. Modern particle physics experiment use million of central processing unit (CPU) hours to perform these simulations at data centres worldwide. The development of a graphics processing unit (GPU) based simulation is ongoing in collaboration with colleagues at CERN and in the USA. The research software engineering team in Sheffield is working to profile and optimise this GPU code.
STFC Hartree Centre
The Hartree Centre will lead the project’s knowledge exchange by providing specific training designed to enable individuals to take advantage of state-of-the-art digital technologies. The training programme covers modelling and uncertainty quantification, HPC performance analysis, GPU programming and exascale computing. Our researchers will also develop scalable hybrid Monte Carlo methods for the complex matrices to tackle lattice quantum chromodynamics (QCD) problems.
Swansea University
Swansea University is a regional leader in high-performance computing and artificial intelligence, hosting a portion of Wales’ national supercomputing service Supercomputing Wales and Wales’ primary dedicated facility for machine learning, AccelerateAI. The Lattice Quantum Field Theory research group in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Swansea University performs cutting-edge research into the fundamental forces of nature, using HPC resources. Swansea’s contribution to ExaTEPP will focus on preparing software for lattice quantum field theory that will efficiently exploit exascale facilities, and to develop benchmarking tools to enable easy assessment of exascale readiness.
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is contributing to the development and optimisation of codes for simulating the interactions of fundamental particles produced by collisions at the Large Hadron Colliders with the associated detectors. With simulations of the physics and transport processes requiring highly detailed calculations to ensure both precision and accuracy of the modelled data, computations consume a significant fraction of CPU hours in the LHC compute budget. In collaboration with colleagues at CERN, the USA, and the University of Sheffield, Warwick’s research software engineering team is contributing to the development and optimisation of new simulation algorithms targeted at GPUs to increase the data throughput needed to support LHC runs over the coming decade.
Who is involved in ExCALIBUR?
The programme is led by the Met Office and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) along with the Public Sector Research Establishment, the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) and UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) research councils, including the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC).