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Titan

Science

Galactic Winds Demystified

Using the Titan supercomputer at the US Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a team of astrophysicists created a set of galactic wind simulations of the highest resolution ever performed. The simulations will allow researchers to gather and interpret more accurate, detailed data that explains how galactic winds affect…
Elizabeth Rosenthal
August 1, 2019
In this visualization from David Pugmire at Oak Ridge National Laboratory, a team led by Jeroen Tromp at Princeton University is imaging the interior of the Earth with adjoint tomography.Science

A Data-Driven Journey to the Center of the Earth

In a farewell nod to Titan, scheduled to be decommissioned in August 2019, we present a short series of features highlighting some of Titan’s impactful contributions to scientific research. In Jules Verne’s Journey to the Center of the Earth, an impatient geology professor leads a subterranean expedition in search of…
Jonathan Hines
July 5, 2019
Titan supercomputer OLCFTechnology

Farewell, Titan

The Cray XK7 Titan supercomputer operated by the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) at the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) will be decommissioned on August 1 and disassembled for recycling. Performing up to 27 quadrillion calculations per second, Titan ranked as one of the…
Katie Elyce Jones
June 28, 2019
People

Upgraded Science Trailer Teaches Students about Supercomputing

“What’s Your Problem?” This question, emblazoned on the side of a bright red trailer, invites students of all ages to step into the world of computational science. This mobile exhibit showcases the scientific and technological achievements made possible by past, present, and future supercomputers located at the US Department of…
Elizabeth Rosenthal
April 25, 2019
People

OLCF Scientist Talks Early Summit Results at APS Meeting

The American Physical Society's "Quarks to the Cosmos" meeting took place April 13–16 in Denver. Bronson Messer, a computational scientist at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF), gave an invited talk at the American Physical Society’s (APS’s) “Quarks to the Cosmos” April meeting in Denver, detailing his current work…
Rachel McDowell
April 25, 2019
Science

Laser Focus Sheds Light on Two Sources of Nanoparticle Formation

Although previous research shows that metal nanoparticles have properties useful for various biomedical applications, many mysteries remain regarding how these tiny materials form, including the processes that generate size variations. To crack this case, a team of scientists turned to computational sleuthing tactics. Led by Leonid Zhigilei of the University…
Elizabeth Rosenthal
April 3, 2019
Science

Getting a Big Look at Tiny Particles

At the turn of the 20th century, scientists discovered that atoms were composed of smaller particles. They found that inside each atom, negatively charged electrons orbit a nucleus made of positively charged protons and neutral particles called neutrons. This discovery led to research into atomic nuclei and subatomic particles. An…
Rachel McDowell
April 3, 2019
Science

Solving A Beta Decay Puzzle

OAK RIDGE, Tenn., March 11, 2019—An international collaboration including scientists at the Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) solved a 50-year-old puzzle that explains why beta decays of atomic nuclei are slower than what is expected based on the beta decays of free neutrons. The findings, published…
Jonathan Hines
March 12, 2019
Science

New Geometric Model Improves Predictions of Fluid Flow in Rock

Deep beneath the Earth’s surface, oil and groundwater percolate through gaps in rock and other geologic material. Hidden from sight, these critical resources pose a significant challenge for scientists seeking to evaluate the state of such two-phase fluid flows. Fortunately, the combination of supercomputing and synchrotron-based imaging techniques enables more…
Katie Elyce Jones
February 6, 2019
Science

Titan Takes Fluoride from Taps and Toothpaste to Batteries

In today’s technology landscape, companies are continually making improvements to electronic devices. Bigger screens, better cameras, and smarter systems are just some of the improvements these companies promise to consumers with each product upgrade. But one question remains: where are the long-lasting batteries? A collaboration of researchers recently made a…
Rachel McDowell
December 21, 2018
Science

Breaching the Biomass Problem

In a farewell nod to Titan, scheduled to be decommissioned in August 2019, we present a short series of features highlighting some of Titan’s impactful contributions to scientific research. https://vimeo.com/307039163 A visualization of a cellulose fiber (green) interacting with lignin (brown). Using supercomputers like the OLCF’s Cray XK7 Titan, ORNL…
Jonathan Hines
December 20, 2018
IndustryScience

Pinnacle Engines Develops Efficient, Low-Emission Gasoline Engine Using Supercomputing

https://vimeo.com/304393904The Pinnacle Engines opposed-piston cylinder shown in three different views. Visualizations illustrate the generation of coherent flow structures and their collapse during the compression stroke, which leads to high levels of turbulence before combustion. Pinnacle Engines researchers analyzed fluid dynamics and combustion behavior to optimize the design of the combustion…
Katie Elyce Jones
December 3, 2018
People

Annual OpenACC Meeting Promotes Programming Innovation

Every year, the OpenACC annual meeting brings together representatives from national laboratories, universities, and other research institutions to exchange information and expand the programming model’s uses in various science domains. A directive-based and performance-portable parallel programming model designed to program many types of accelerators, OpenACC is compatible with the C,…
Elizabeth Rosenthal
October 9, 2018
Science

Titan Speeds Inquiry into Engine Alloys That Can Take the Heat

Simulations performed on the Cray XK7 Titan supercomputer at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) filled in a knowledge gap about high-temperature–capable alloys and inspired engineers to successfully develop a new cast aluminum–copper alloy that promises to withstand engine temperatures as high as 300°C—a temperature too extreme for current…
Rachel McDowell
September 17, 2018
People

DOE Graduate Fellows Train on Titan for a Future in HPC

The Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF) recently provided introductory training in high-performance computing (HPC) and access to the facility’s Titan supercomputer to some of the nation’s top doctoral students in computational science. As a US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility, the OLCF and supercomputing centers…
Katie Elyce Jones
August 29, 2018
Science

ALCC Program Awards 14 Projects a Combined 729.5 Million Core Hours at the OLCF

Every year, the US Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR) provides scientists with time on world-class computational resources across the country through the ASCR Leadership Computing Challenge (ALCC). The ALCC program grants 1-year awards to energy-related research efforts with an emphasis on high-risk, high-reward simulations…
Elizabeth Rosenthal
August 7, 2018