The Computational Physics Program of the national MFE Computer Center

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/6339022· OSTI ID:6339022

Mirin, A A

Since June 1974, the MFE Computer Center has been engaged in a significant computational physics effort. The principal objective of the Computational Physics Group is to develop advanced numerical models for the investigation of plasma phenomena and the simulation of present and future magnetic confinement devices. Another major objective of the group is to develop efficient algorithms and programming techniques for current and future generations of supercomputers. The Computational Physics Group has been involved in several areas of fusion research. One main area is the application of Fokker-Planck/quasilinear codes to tokamaks. Another major area is the investigation of resistive magnetohydrodynamics in three dimensions, with applications to tokamaks and compact toroids. A third area is the investigation of kinetic instabilities using a 3-D particle code; this work is often coupled with the task of numerically generating equilibria which model experimental devices. Ways to apply statistical closure approximations to study tokamak-edge plasma turbulence have been under examination, with the hope of being able to explain anomalous transport. Also, we are collaborating in an international effort to evaluate fully three-dimensional linear stability of toroidal devices. In addition to these computational physics studies, the group has developed a number of linear systems solvers for general classes of physics problems and has been making a major effort at ascertaining how to efficiently utilize multiprocessor computers. A summary of these programs are included in this paper. 6 tabs.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 6339022
• Report Number(s): UCID-17530-89-Rev.8; ON: DE89008643
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
700100* -- Fusion Energy-- Plasma Research
99 GENERAL AND MISCELLANEOUS
990210 -- Supercomputers-- (1987-1989)
ALGORITHMS
CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE
COMPUTER CALCULATIONS
CONFINEMENT
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS
EQUILIBRIUM
FOKKER-PLANCK EQUATION
HEATING
INSTABILITY
MATHEMATICAL LOGIC
MATHEMATICS
MHD EQUILIBRIUM
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PLASMA CONFINEMENT
PLASMA HEATING
PLASMA INSTABILITY
RADIATION TRANSPORT
THERMONUCLEAR REACTORS
TOKAMAK TYPE REACTORS
TURBULENCE