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"The IMSL Fortran Library code is very efficient and robust, which benefits the very complicated nature of our programs.”
- Dr. Jack Shi, Associate Professor, University of Kansas
QUICK
FACTS
- Simulating the behavior of particle beams in particle accelerators helps scientists design future and improve current particle accelerators for high-energy and nuclear physics, material science and biophysics research
- IMSL Fortran Library routines such as optimization and nonlinear equation solvers help develop more efficient beam simulation codes
THE PROBLEM
Dr. Jack Shi at the University of Kansas conducts research in a number of areas including accelerator physics, nonlinear dynamics, and computational physics. Much of his current research is aimed at bringing new methods of nonlinear analysis for an understanding of the nonlinear motion of beam particles in high-energy particle accelerators. As such, his group collaborates with accelerator physics groups in national and international laboratories such as Fermilab in Chicago, Illinois, home of the Tevatron particle accelerator, and CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, home of LHC (Large Hadron Collider).
In particle storage-ring accelerators such as Tevatron and LHC, two electron or proton beams circulate in opposite directions and collide head-on at certain points in the accelerator. Physicists study the collisions of those subatomic particles to better understand the origin, nature and evolution of our universe. In this area, Dr. Shi and his research group study the stability of particle beams that is essential to the operation of an accelerator for the physics experiments. In order to study the beam stability, they need efficient numerical tools to model and simulate the motion of beam particles in accelerators.
THE SOLUTION
Dr. Shi was already a user of the IMSL Fortran Library, a library of mathematical and statistical algorithms. “I used the IMSL Fortran Library as a graduate student. When I began my research at the University of Kansas, I knew I’d continue to use the IMSL Fortran Library,” said Dr. Shi. “I know there are other packages available, including many free ones on the Internet, but I need something with the high level of numerical efficiency and robustness of the IMSL Fortran Library,” he added.
Dr. Shi uses IMSL Fortran Library functions such as optimization and non-linear equation solvers for the simulation of the motion of particle beams in an accelerator. “Without the IMSL Fortran Library, I’d have to write my own code to perform these functions and since I’m not an expert in algorithm development, that wouldn’t be an efficient use of my research time,” said Dr. Shi.
Another critical feature of the IMSL Fortran Library is that the algorithms have very good performance. “IMSL Fortran Library code is very efficient and robust, which benefits the very complicated and time-consuming nature of our beam simulation codes,” said Dr. Shi. “In addition, we often use high-performance multi-processor supercomputers for the beam simulation. The IMSL Fortran Library performs well in shared-memory multi-processor computing environments and the fact that the most NSF and DOE high-performance computing centers have the IMSL Fortran Library in their supercomputers makes it easy to share and test codes.”
RETURN ON INVESTMENT
The primary benefit of using the IMSL Fortran Library is to conduct a more efficient research project that helps national laboratories design and operate better accelerators for physics research.
Dr. Shi reports that the IMSL Fortran Library also benefits his graduate students. As part of their graduate education, Dr. Shi requires that his graduate students learn and use the IMSL Numerical Libraries. “The programming skills and computational understanding they develop by using the IMSL Numerical Libraries are invaluable for their future research or industrial careers.” said Dr. Shi.
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Industry
Education
Application
Research and Teaching
Product
IMSL Fortran Library
KU’s Department of Physics and Astronomy offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Faculty research draws $3.7 million a year in external funding for studies in large scale (solar system, galaxy and universe by the astronomy, cosmology and space physics groups); small scale (nuclear, high energy and astro-particle physics groups); and bulk matter physics (condensed matter and biophysics groups). Strong interdisciplinary programs exist in biophysics, nano-bio science, accelerator physics and astrobiology.
Key Benefits
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IMSL Fortran Library helps in research that contributes to the design of high-energy particle accelerators |
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IMSL Fortran Library code is extremely efficient and robust, even when used in very complicated projects |
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Using IMSL Fortran Library enables scientists to focus on research, not spend time coding numerical algorithms |
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IMSL Fortran Library enhances graduate students’ programming skills and computational understanding |
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