RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS

A team of researchers led by Dr. Claudia Finger of the Fraunhofer Research Institute for Energy Infrastructures and Geothermal Systems (IEG) in Bochum has been developing an innovative computer modeling method that improves how we locate and assess seismic activity in urban areas. Using the JUWELS supercomputer at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre (JSC), the team successfully designed and tested a network of seismic monitoring stations near a hopeful geothermal site.

Using HLRS supercomputers, University of Stuttgart researchers supported Airbus in the development of the next-generation RACER helicopter.

The Jülich Supercomputing Center has one of Europe’s fastest computers and a growing collection of quantum computing devices. Researchers are leveraging the former to pursue technological advancements for the latter.

Scientists at the University of Bonn use the JUWELS supercomputer at the Jülich Supercomputing Center to improve models of how ocean tides are changing in a warming climate.

Using HLRS’s Hawk supercomputer, scientists at the TU Berlin generate valuable thermodynamic data for chemical engineering research.

Ammonia (NH₃) is an important molecule with many applications. The end product of the famed Haber–Bosch process, it is commonly synthesized to capture nitrogen for fertilizers, and is used for refrigeration, in cleaning products, and in the production of pharmaceuticals. Recently, this modest molecule has also attracted interest as a potential resource for addressing one of today’s most pressing challenges — the need for reliable and abundant renewable fuels.

Researchers at the University of Regensburg are pushing the study of ultrafast electron dynamics to new levels of precision. Thanks to their multi-year effort to improve upon algorithms based on quantum mechanics, the team succeeded in running significantly more accurate simulations of electron orbits across 2D materials.

Solar energy is one of the most promising, widely adopted renewable energy sources, but raising the efficiency of solar cells that convert light into electricity remains a challenge. Scientists have turned to the High-Performance Computing Center Stuttgart to understand how strategically designing imperfections in the system could lead to more efficient energy conversion.

As artificial intelligence enters new corners of society, academic researchers are hard at work making sure that the applications interacting with our day-to-day routines are ready for whatever life throws at them. A team at the University of Wuppertal uses supercomputing resources at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre to make AI training more efficient, improving problem-solving capabilities for autonomous driving and other complex systems in the process.

Using HLRS supercomputing resources, scientists led by University of Helsinki physicist Minna Palmroth are exploring phenomena in near-Earth space that could never be investigated before.

World-class computing technologies allow researchers to employ a powerful tool to complement experimental and observation facilities. A multi-institutional group of astrophysicists has turned to the power of the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre’s flagship system to simulate in unprecedented detail a large part of our celestial neighborhood, with a specific focus on the so-called Coma cluster.

Scientists at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self Organization are using artificial intelligence methods on the Jülich Supercomputing Centre’s flagship JUWELS system to better understand turbulent fluid flows in unprecedented detail.

A research collaboration including a team based at the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics has long leveraged world-class supercomputing resources to understand how our universe came to exist in its current form. Building on the successes of the previous “Millennium,” “Illustris,” and “IllustrisTNG” projects, the researchers are simulating dark matter in unprecedented detail in the context of the “MillenniumTNG” project.

Computational biologists at Forschungszentrum Jülich are testing their research methods on a powerful new tool—the D-Wave Advantage quantum computer, JUPSI, hosted at the research center. In a set of proof-of-concept simulations of the protein folding process, the team was able to improve sampling accuracy over comparable simulations performed using traditional computational methods.

Scientists at the Helmholtz Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf are using high-performance computing to identify new materials for novel electronic and catalysis applications.

With a combination of computer simulations and experiments, JMU physicists continue to gain knowledge of how materials interact at the subatomic level, laying the groundwork for greater scientific insights and new applications. Using this tandem approach, the researchers identified novel phases of a quantum system.

Computational methods originally developed for hydrology research and oil and gas extraction find new applications in understanding electrolyte flow physics in battery cells.

With the help of new observational data of gravitational waves and electromagnetic signatures, University of Potsdam researchers are using supercomputers to understand binary neutron star mergers.

Researchers at KAUST used HLRS’s Hawk supercomputer to test a novel method for reducing computational cost and increasing performance in a large-scale global climate simulation.

The mRNA vaccine for COVID-19 was the first of its kind, demonstrating the potential of a new biomedical paradigm. Computational research at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz could open new opportunities for mRNA-based medicines.

Technical University of Munich scientists, working with computational experts at the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre, perform massive simulations focused on understanding turbulent interactions of gas in high-pressure environments.

Researchers at Justus Liebig University Giessen used HLRS supercomputing resources in the discovery of cluster glass, a new class of materials.

Models developed by researchers at the Goethe University Frankfurt were instrumental in the Event Horizon Telescope consortium’s recent blockbuster findings.

Researchers at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and their partners at the Technical University of Munich have developed innovative ways to assess risk for two of the Earth’s most destructive disasters.

Despite being among the most researched topics on supercomputers, a fundamental understanding of the effects of turbulent motion on fluid flows still eludes scientists. A new approach developed at TU Darmstadt and running at the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre aims to change that.

HLRS supported researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the Instituto de Astrofísica de Andalucía of the Spanish Research Council (CSIC) in processing and analyzing a decade's worth of data gathered during an expansive, space-based project.

Researchers at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) are using high-performance computing to model how waterways’ sediment beds change and what those changes mean for pollutants moving downstream.

Separating and filtering complex mixtures is essential for many industrial and medical applications. In fact, industrial separation processes of chemicals account for roughly 10 percent of the world’s energy consumption. Researchers at the University of Göttingen, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, and University of Hamburg are using a combination of simulation and experiments to deepen our understanding of how to make these essential processes more efficient. 

German-Research-Foundation-funded initiative supports research to better understand the movements of microorganisms in an effort to develop new environmental remediation efforts and drug delivery devices, among other applications. 

Using a combination of CT-scans, other available patient data, and simulations, researchers are forging a path toward personalizing medicine and improving outcomes for patients with acute respiratory illnesses. In collaboration with the Leibniz Supercomputing Centre, researchers from the Technical University of Munich are developing new computational methods to put insights from more accurate modelling and simulation into the hands of medical professionals.

Scientists have long used supercomputers to better understand how turbulent flows behave under a variety of conditions. Recognizing a need to include the complex but essential concept of “intermittency” in turbulent flows, researchers at CORIA and RWTH Aachen University used Jülich Supercomputing Centre’s infrastructure to run highly detailed simulations.

From touch screens and advanced electronic sensors to better drug delivery devices, graphene has become one of the most promising new materials in recent decades. In an effort to produce cheap, defect-free graphene in larger quantities, researchers from the Technical University of Munich have been using GCS HPC resources to develop more efficient methods for producing graphene at the industrial scale.

Researchers are working to identify materials and methods to improve water electrolysis, a promising approach that could more efficiently store energy generated from renewable sources. 

Physicists have spent 20 years trying to more precisely measure the so-called “magnetic moment” of subatomic particles called muons. Findings published this week call into question long-standing assumptions of particle physics.

Researchers at the University of Wuppertal and Forschungszentrum Jülich combine theory and experiment to study the role of high-altitude clouds on ozone health. 

A team from TU Dortmund is using high-performance computing to model how lasers could regulate spin dynamics in quantum dots. These small structures could have big implications for improving quantum computers and other advanced electronics. 

A multi-institution team from Australia and Germany simulates turbulence happening on both sides of the so-called “sonic scale,” opening the door for more detailed and realistic galaxy formation simulations.

High-performance computing enables bioengineers to predict how laboratory results can be transferred to industrial conditions without loss of performance.

Supercomputing simulations support the design of a research station to improve wind turbine efficiency in hilly and mountainous regions.

Researchers from Goethe University in Frankfurt have been using HPC resources at HLRS and LRZ to support the massive Event Horizon Telescope (EHT) project. The results were released in the April edition of Astrophysical Journal Letters.

High-performance computing provides essential tools for drug discovery and epidemiological modeling in the fight against the global pandemic.

HLRS uses supercomputing and visualization to develop comprehensive models of urban environments, supports city planning in Herrenberg.

High-performance computing helps scientists at Heinrich Heine Universität Düsseldorf and Forschungszentrum Jülich better understand enzymes that are more resistant to detergents and solvents.

University of Duisburg-Essen researchers use HPC to model fuel jet flames in unprecedented detail, verifying experiments done by the German Aerospace Agency. 

TUM researchers partner with LRZ HPC experts to improve access to and organization of protein databases. 

TU Kaiserslautern researchers use molecular dynamics simulations to study solid-fluid interactions during scratching processes. 

Helmut-Schmidt University scientists combine simulation with experimental investigations to understand complex fluid-structure interactions to design safer buildings.

Research collaboration between the Australian National University, Intel, and LRZ nominated for Best Scientific Visualization & Data Analytics Showcase award at SC19.

Researchers from the University of Stuttgart use a machine learning algorithm and supercomputing to improve energy efficiency. The results recently appeared in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy. 

University of Freiburg researchers use JSC supercomputing resources to better understand structural material design. The team’s work was published in MRS Communications. 

Combining earthquake and tsunami computer models of the 2018 tsunami in Palu, researchers identified underlying causes of the deadly tsunami.

Canadian-German partnership simulates the climate in Quebec and Bavaria over 150 years, primarily focusing on extreme flooding events. The team’s results were recently published in Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology.

Researchers employ HPC to help bring spray simulations to a commercial level. The team’s work was featured on the cover of the Journal of Fluid Mechanics. 

HPC helps researchers understand experiments for observing real-time motion of lithium atoms in bi-layer graphene, paving the way for designing new materials for batteries and other electronics.

German scientists have succeeded in observing electron motion in real time by using laser pulses and supercomputing simulations. In their pursuit to better understand electrons’ behaviour during a chemical reaction, the researchers of the University of Paderborn and the Fritz Haber Institute Berlin have leveraged supercomputing resources at the HLRS to model this phenomenon. Their findings were recently published in Science.

HLRS high-performance computing resources and data-driven machine learning help researchers of the Institute of Nuclear Technology and Energy Systems (IKE) and the Institute of Aerospace Thermodynamics (ITLR) at the University of Stuttgart model how coal, nuclear, and geothermal power plants could be retrofitted for cleaner, safer, and more efficient and flexible operation.

A multi-institutional team comprised of researchers from the Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, the Max-Planck Institutes for Astrophysics and for Astronomy, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard University, and the Center for Computational Astrophysics in New York gives the cosmology community a world-class simulation to study how the universe formed.

Theoretical physicists and experimentalists collaborate to identify dopants capable of enabling new designs of semiconducting materials.

Multi-disciplinary research team uses theory and experiment on its journey to understand material and geologic processes in high pressure and temperature conditions.

Researchers at LMU and TUM in Munich are up for best paper at SC17 after simulating one of the largest, most violent earthquakes in history.

Researchers at the Technical University of Munich are using satellite imagery and supercomputing to predict city buildings’ risks for structural degradation and damage.

A team of researchers led by Prof. Dr. Britta Nestler at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology and the Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences works on the frontline of advanced material design, using computation to model new material properties.

With the help of HLRS's Hazel Hen supercomputer, an RWTH Aachen University team reaches a new milestone in modeling turbulence, paving the road to better power plant modeling and design in the future.

Scientists at the Paderborn University and the University of Duisburg–Essen recently published a paper in Nature about phase transitions. High performance computing resources at the HLRS enabled the investigators to explain the physics behind their unexpected discovery.