Tools for High-Performance Computing
The Computational Physics group develops software tools that harness high-performance computing to simulate physical systems across many scales. Our code supports research ranging from quantum mechanical calculations to large-scale statistical mechanics simulations, enabling discoveries that would be impossible by hand.
The software developed within the Computational Physics group is built around the principle that modern physics research demands tools capable of handling complexity beyond analytical solutions. These codebases are designed to bridge the gap between theoretical models and observable phenomena, allowing researchers to simulate systems ranging from the quantum realm to macroscopic scales. By leveraging high-performance computing resources, the group's software enables detailed investigations into dense matter, neutron star interiors, fluid dynamics in porous media, and other systems where traditional methods fall short. The emphasis remains on creating reliable, well-documented code that serves both as a research instrument and as a platform for educational exploration in computational methods.
Among the notable tools emerging from this environment is SimVis, a simulation and visualization framework that integrates computation with interactive exploration. This platform allows users to run physics simulations while simultaneously observing how parameters affect outcomes in real time. Such an approach is particularly valuable in educational contexts, where students can develop intuition for complex physical behavior by manipulating variables and seeing immediate visual feedback. The framework supports a range of physics domains and is designed to be extensible, encouraging contributions from group members and collaborators. It exemplifies the group's commitment to tools that make computational physics more accessible without sacrificing scientific rigor.
The group's software development follows rigorous coding standards and style guidelines, ensuring that code remains maintainable, readable, and performant across different computing environments. Many tools are designed to run on Linux-based clusters, taking full advantage of parallel computing architectures to handle simulations that would be impractical on single machines. Version control, testing suites, and thorough documentation are standard practices, reflecting the group's academic roots and its commitment to reproducibility in computational research. These practices also serve an educational purpose, as students working on these projects gain firsthand experience with professional software development workflows that are increasingly essential in scientific careers.
Beyond individual research projects, the software ecosystem supports the broader mission of the Computational Physics group by enabling collaboration across disciplines and institutions. Tools are often shared openly, allowing other researchers to build upon existing work rather than starting from scratch. This approach accelerates discovery and fosters a community around shared computational challenges. The group also organizes events and workshops focused on computational methods, bringing together researchers and students to exchange ideas and improve their skills. Through these efforts, the software developed here becomes more than just code; it becomes a foundation for advancing the understanding of physical systems across scales.
SimVis
SimVis is a simulation and visualization framework created within the group. It provides an integrated environment for running physics simulations and interactively exploring their results, helping researchers and students alike to gain insight into complex physical phenomena.
LAMMPS Online
LAMMPS Online offers a web-based interface to the LAMMPS molecular dynamics simulator. This project makes large-scale atomistic simulations more accessible, lowering the barrier for students and researchers who want to run molecular dynamics workflows without managing local installations.
Additional Projects
Beyond these tools, group members contribute to a variety of open-source efforts, including code for coupled cluster methods, time-evolution of quantum systems, and utilities for working with the Smaug computing cluster. For a broader view of our research activities, see the Projects page.