Optics and supercomputing

Article Abstract:

Emerging optical storage and connection technologies will have a major impact on supercomputer performance, but the viability and performance potential of optical processing is yet to be determined. Supercomputers typically have high processing power and require very large and fast memories plus a high bandwidth between processors and memory. Digital optical data-handling technologies offer such advantages as very high speed, massive parallelism, and immunity from electromagnetic interference. Optical storage technologies, particularly optical disks, offer extraordinary capacity and high potential data transfer rates and will find ever-greater use as mass storage for supercomputers. Optical communications technologies such as fiber optics, waveguides, and free-space transmission transfer massive amounts of data and are moving into module, board and chip implementations.

Optoelectronic devices, Systems development, Optical Memory, System Development, Trends, Future Technologies, Impact Analysis, technical, Optical Computers, Optical Communication

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Large-scale problems and supercomputing in the Department of Energy

Article Abstract:

The US Department of Energy (DOE) is a leader in the application of supercomputer and large-scale parallel processing technology to the solution of complex physical research and development problems in the fields of energy, nuclear weapons, and basic research. Current major problems of interest to the DOE include magnetic containment and inertial confinement fusion, nuclear reactor design, improved combustion efficiency, the harnessing of solar energy, global warning processes and impacts, pollutant diffusion, nuclear weapons and their packaging, particle accelerator design, structural biology, quantum chromodynamics, and electronic structure analysis. Each is briefly described. The computational requirements and current and future supercomputing facilities for DOE-supported research are detailed.

Admin. of general economic programs, Noncommercial research organizations, Research, Industrial research, United States. Department of Energy, Research and Development, Outlook, Strategic Planning, Scientific Research, Government Funding, Utilization, Government aid

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Gaining Insight from Supercomputing

Article Abstract:

Supercomputers used in large-scale numerical simulations help scientists gain insights by treating complexities in models, by studying phenomena that are hard to study experimentally, and by helping to test theory. With the CRAY-1 computer, the equation of state of a one-component plasma can be computed. The TRAC code analyzes accidents in conventional light-water reactors and was used for the Three Mile Island accident. Nonlinear is another application of supercomputers.

Numerical analysis, Nonlinear programming, Scientific Computers, Applied Mathematics

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