CODES AS INSTRUMENTS: COMMUNITY APPLICATION AND SIMULATION SOFTWARE FOR THE HARDWARE ARCHITECTURES OF THE NEXT DECADE
Falk Herwig, Lewis Jonathan Dursi · 2010
Modern astronomical research requires increasingly sophisticated computing facilities and software tools. Computational tools have become the fundamental tools to turn observational raw data into scientific insight. Complex multi-physics simulation codes have developed into tools for numerical experiments that provide scientific insight beyond classical theory. Canadian researchers need an environment for developement and maintenance of these critical tools. In particular, the drastically enhanced complexity of deeply heterogeneous hardware architectures poses a real challenge to using present and future HPC facilties. Without a national program in astrophysical simulation science and astronomy application code developement we are becoming vulnerable with respect to our ability to maximise the scientific return from existing and planned investments into atronomy. In addition, there are significant industrial/commercial HQP needs that a simulation and application code program could start to address, if it is properly aligned with academic training opportunities. We outline the framework and requirements for such a framework for developing Canadian astronomical application and simulation codes — and code builders. In the US decadal plan process, voices are calling for similar emphasis on developing infrastructure and incentives for open community codes (Weiner et al. 2009). We propose funding several small interdisciplinary teams of postdocs, graduate students, and sta, housed in departments at Universities that have or are about to make a commitment in a relevant area (e.g. applied math, computational physics, modeling science). These teams can, while training astronomical and computational HQP, focus on building tools that have been deemed to be high priorities by the astronomical and astrophysical communities in order to make the best scientific use of our new computational faciliites. Subject headings: