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Meissner, C. N.

Publications and source records attributed to Meissner, C. N..

E3SM: Improved Climate Prediction with Exascale Capability

The Energy Exascale Earth System Model (E3SM) project is an ongoing, state-of-the-science earth system modeling, simulation, and prediction effort that optimizes Department of Energy (DOE) computing resources to meet the science needs of the nation and the agency’s mission objectives. Climate simulation has become a proven tool for identifying and quantifying the impacts of climate change, but even greater accuracy is required at all levels to improve forecast precision. Understanding the impact of climate change on global and regional water cycles is one of the highest priorities and most difficult challenges in climate change prediction. As part of a subproject of DOE’s Exascale Computing Project, a multidisciplinary team including geophysical and computational scientists developed a multiscale modeling framework (MMF) to refine cloud representation in E3SM climate simulation on GPU accelerated supercomputers, making higher resolution, more computationally efficient predictions possible.

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES

WarpX: Delivering Unprecedented Particle-in-Cell Simulation Capability

Since 1939, more than 30 percent of all Nobel prizes in physics and four of the past 14 prizes in chemistry have been awarded for work with particle accelerators. These tools are now used to treat cancer and produce medical supplies, support research in applied fields such as pharmaceuticals, create microcircuits, and sterilize food—and the applications list continues to grow. However, the size of the facilities needed to house these machines—which are often dozens of kilometers long—has limited their future potential. Thus, researchers are motivated to create novel particle accelerator designs that provide new imaging capability but have a much smaller footprint. The Exascale Computing Project’s WarpX application captures the full complexity of the acceleration processes within plasma-based design, supporting the rapid and cost-efficient development of tens of thousands of new particle accelerators for various applications from improving human health to nuclear fusion reactors.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY

Combustion-Pele: An Exascale Capability for Improving Engine Design

Combustion, the complex chemical reaction made possible by igniting a mixture of fuel and oxygen to produce heat and light, serves as the nation’s primary source of power generation and the linchpin of the transportation industry. For more than 100 years, internal combustion engines (ICEs) have been converting energy from the burning of fuel—gasoline, for example—into a mechanical process that makes vehicles move. Recently, ICEs have come under heavy scrutiny for their contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, yet combustion-based systems are projected to dominate the marketplace for decades. Exascale systems are helping researchers design new high-efficiency, low-emission combustion engines that operate at much lower temperatures to maintain the nation’s energy security and limit negative environmental impacts.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH

EQSIM: Exascale Predictions of Earthquake Effects on Critical Infrastructure

The great “San Francisco” earthquake of 1906 is one of the most recognized, and sobering, demonstrations of the havoc that can be caused by the sudden and violent movement of Earth’s tectonic plates. The estimated 7.9-magnitude quake and subsequent fires decimated the major metropolis and surrounding areas: buildings turned to ruins, hundreds of thousands of people left homeless, and a death toll exceeding 3,000. Today, as evidenced by the catastrophic 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Turkey in February 2023, these events still present a significant danger to life and economic security. To mitigate the potential devastation of future earthquakes and better prepare for these inevitable events, researchers are turning to high-performance computers to simulate the underlying geophysical processes and accurately quantify associated risks to critical infrastructure.

42 ENGINEERING