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DOE OSTI2022

DUNE Offline Computing Conceptual Design Report

This document describes Offline Software and Computing for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) experiment, in particular, the conceptual design of the offline computing needed to accomplish its physics goals. Our emphasis in this document is the development of the computing infrastructure needed to acquire, catalog, reconstruct, simulate and analyze the data from the DUNE experiment and its prototypes. In this effort, we concentrate on developing the tools and systems that facilitate the development and deployment of advanced algorithms. Rather than prescribing particular algorithms, our goal is to provide resources that are flexible and accessible enough to support creative software solutions as HEP computing evolves and to provide computing that achieves the physics goals of the DUNE experiment.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2022

Quantum advantage in learning from experiments

Quantum technology promises to revolutionize how we learn about the physical world. An experiment that processes quantum data with a quantum computer could have substantial advantages over conventional experiments in which quantum states are measured and outcomes are processed with a classical computer. We proved that quantum machines could learn from exponentially fewer experiments than the number required by conventional experiments. This exponential advantage is shown for predicting properties of physical systems, performing quantum principal component analysis, and learning about physical dynamics. Furthermore, the quantum resources needed for achieving an exponential advantage are quite modest in some cases. Conducting experiments with 40 superconducting qubits and 1300 quantum gates, we demonstrated that a substantial quantum advantage is possible with today’s quantum processors.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2021

Constraining computational modeling of indirect drive double shell capsule implosions using experiments

Double shell capsule implosions are an alternative approach to achieving alpha heating on the National Ignition Facility. Current machining techniques construct the outer shell as two hemispheres that are glued together, and the deuterium and tritium (DT) liquid inside the inner shell will be injected by a fill tube. These features introduce asymmetries and jetting that may disrupt the confinement of the DT fuel if not carefully controlled. Simulations indicate that in order to achieve high yields in the laboratory, these features as well as susceptibility to the Rayleigh–Taylor instability (RTI) must be mitigated. Furthermore, due to uncertainties in computational models and the expense of using the best physics models at adequate resolution in three dimensions, our computational modeling must be constrained by experiments. We report on the results of recent hydrogrowth radiography and dual-axis keyhole experiments with double shell targets that have been used to evaluate our modeling of the outer shell joint as well as the impacts of high-energy x-ray preheat that strongly impacts RTI growth. Our simulations show good agreement with the experimental data and inform several important modeling choices.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2018

Coupled EM-PIC/Radiation Transport Simulations of HERMES Courtyard Experiments

A suite of coupled computational models for simulating the radiation, plasma, and electromagnetic (EM) environment in the High-Energy Radiation Megavolt Electron Source (HERMES) courtyard has been developed. In principle, this provides a predictive forward-simulation capability based solely on measured upstream anode and cathode current waveforms in the Magnetically Insulated Transmission Line (MITL). First, 2D R-Z ElectroMagnetic Particle-in-Cell (EM-PIC) simulations model the MITL and diode to compute a history of all electrons incident on the converter. Next, radiation transport simulations use these electrons as a source to compute the time-dependent dose rate and volumetric electron production in the courtyard. Finally, the radiation transport output is used as sources for EM-PIC simulations of the courtyard to com- pute electromagnetic responses. This suite has been applied to the November 2016 trials, shots 10268-10313. Modeling and experiment differ in significant ways. This is just the first iteration of a long process to improve the agreement, as outlined in the summary.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2019

Collaboration with NSTX in Calculations of Radiofrequency and Neutral Beam Heating and Current Drive

The overall objective of this project was to advance the understanding of heating and current drive necessary for toroidal magnetic confinement fusion energy reactors, and to provide accurate models for these sources to aid in understanding magneto-hydrodynamic, transport and boundary physics issues. Increased understanding is provided by computer simulation using the underlying physics laws, and will lead to greater reliability and increased efficiency of a power producing fusion reactor. The proposed work entailed applications of existing CompX Fokker-Planck, ray tracing, full-wave microwave, and particle diffusion calculator codes to the National Spherical Torus Experiment at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. Special features of NSTX include that large ion orbits are emphasized in its geometry and thus offer a major opportunity within fusion research for focused exploration of their ubiquitous effects, including comparison with simulation codes. The CompX CQL3D Fokker-Planck code was be further adapted to the finite-orbit-width physics. Comparison with experiment ensured that the computer codes have sufficient accuracy to accurately model the experiments. Nonthermal distributions of energetic ions are produced in experiments-- and modeled with the codes-- exhibiting the signatures of auxiliary heating, transport, and radiation processes within the plasma. Using physics-based modeling, in conjunction with experimental data, nonthermal distributions can provide keys to validation and quantification of auxiliary heating physics. Nonthermal distributions also hold particular information on radial transport processes, not obscured by the smoothing Maxwellization effects of Coulomb collisions. Generally, radial transport is not well understood but is a key to efficient fusion energy production. By comparison with Fokker-Planck modeling, the velocity dependence of radial transport coefficients becomes experimentally accessible, particularly in cases of well-modeled sources such as neutral beams, fast wave power, or the toroidal electric field. It is clear from modeling of fast-wave interactions with ions that finite-orbit-width effects play a significant role. For example, a different set of ions is computed to intersect a given cyclotron resonance depending on whether or not radial orbit drifts are taken into account. Also, radial transport, associated bootstrap current, and alpha channeling depend on radial drifts. Ion cyclotron heating above the first harmonic interacts preferentially with higher velocity ions, giving large radial drifts. The CQL3D Fokker-Planck code, maintained by the proposers, is a physics based model used extensively within the US fusion community to compare with and interpret experimental observations. At the beginning of this grant, bounce-averages of the rf quasilinear and other operators have been performed neglecting the radial drifts which give finite orbit widths to the particle orbits. The proposed work included a major upgrade to CQL3D to include finite-orbit-width effects be accounted for by performing the bounce-averages of rf and neutral beam fast ions along guiding center orbits. This CQL3D enhancement provided microwave and neutral beam contributions to neoclassical radial transport coefficients for nonthermal distributions, and substantially increased the comprehensiveness of the ion model. Additional work validated Fokker-Planck and ray tracing modeling of neutral beam and high harmonic fast wave absorption and current drive against the NSTX experiment, as had been very successful for electron cyclotron current drive in the DIII-D tokamak at General Atomics and lower hybrid waves on C-Mod at MIT. The validation work was in conjunction with staff and graduate students at Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. This DOE grant supported fusion energy research, a potential long-term solution to the world's energy needs. The research grant under consideration, DE-SC0006614, provided research support at the 0.3 Full-Time-Equivalent level for application of computer models to aid in understanding and projecting efficacy of heating and current drive sources in the National Spherical Torus Experiment, a tokamak variant, at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory. The NSTX experiment explores the physics of very tight aspect ratio, almost spherical tokamaks, aiming at producing steady-state fusion plasmas. The current drive is an integral part of the steady-state concept, maintaining the magnetic geometry in the steady-state tokamak.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2022

Testing and Simulation of an Updated Cartridge Loop Vehicle

The Versatile Test Reactor (VTR) is a sodium-cooled, fast-spectrum test reactor that is being developed in the United States and will support a variety of irradiation test vehicle configurations, including cartridge loops. This work includes out-of-pile experimental results from a single-phase, natural circulation cartridge loop vehicle with geometry relevant to VTR irradiation sites, as well as comparisons between the experimental results and results predicted using the TRAC/RELAP Advanced Computational Engine (TRACE) modeling tool. The experiments were conducted in the thermosyphon test loop (TSTL) facility at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Comparisons are also made between the current experimental data and results from natural circulation experiments previously conducted in the TSTL in a cartridge vehicle that is similar in design but has smaller flow areas. This cartridge vehicle and the experimental program were developed to add to the single-phase, natural circulation data collected in the previous iteration of the cartridge loop design, which supports future irradiation experiments and adds to a database that is useful for validating computer models. Comparisons of experimental results to TRACE model predictions is a pertinent step in validating the computational tool for supporting future irradiation experiment design and safety calculations, and comparisons to previous cartridge loop results highlight the impact of the design changes made to the test vehicle. The experiments conducted include several steady state tests and transients, including power ramp, loss of offsite power, and loss of external flow scenarios. This work shows that TRACE can accurately predict temperatures and flow conditions in the cartridge loop and the updated vehicle design achieves higher mass flow rates at the same steady state power levels.

21 SPECIFIC NUCLEAR REACTORS AND ASSOCIATED PLANTS↗
DOE OSTI2021

Position Papers for the ASCR Workshop on Cybersecurity and Privacy for Scientific Computing Ecosystems

At the request of the Department of Energy's (DOE) Office of Advanced Scientific Computing Research (ASCR), this program committee has been tasked with organizing a workshop to identify basic research needs in cybersecurity and privacy to better support DOE's science and energy mission. As part of the process, the program committee is soliciting community input in the form of position papers to help identify significant use cases, facility issues, and other barriers to enabling verifiably trustworthy computational science while preserving data confidentiality as appropriate for scientific workflows of interest to DOE. The program committee will review these position papers and based on the fit of their area of expertise and interest, selected contributors will have the opportunity to participate in the workshop currently planned as a virtual event November 3-5th, 2021. The thrust areas that will be explored by this workshop are the following: (1) Algorithms for secure, scalable, privacy-enhancing technologies and frameworks, including: Federated AI/ML, Differential privacy, Randomized algorithms, Adversarial modeling & simulation, Graph algorithms, and Formal methods; (2) Platforms to support the entire scientific-computing ecosystem, including edge computing for large-scale experiments, focusing on heterogeneous systems and distributed systems, including: Heterogeneous computing systems, Distributed computing systems, and Secure data architectures; and (3) Data workflows to allow agile use of data while preserving integrity and privacy, making the important properties verifiable either at runtime or post-computation, including: Integrity and provenance and Data management infrastructure. Topics that are out-of-scope for the workshop include discussing specific proposed solutions or areas that are clearly out of DOE's fundamental and applied-sciences mission scope, e.g., cryptography, enterprise security, and general-operations technology.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2025

Comparing computational times for simulations when using PBPK model template and stand-alone implementations of PBPK models

Introduction We previously developed a PBPK model template that consists of a single model “superstructure” with equations and logic found in many physiologically based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) models. Using the template, one can implement PBPK models with different combinations of structures and features. Methods To identify factors that influence computational time required for PBPK model simulations, we conducted timing experiments using various implementations of PBPK models for dichloromethane and chloroform, including template and stand-alone implementations, and simulating four different exposure scenarios. For each experiment, we measured the required computational time and evaluated the impacts of including various model features (e.g., number of output variables calculated) and incorporating various design choices (e.g., different methods for estimating blood concentrations). Results We observed that model implementations that treat body weight and dependent quantities as constant (fixed) parameters can result in a 30% time savings compared with options that treat body weight and dependent quantities as time-varying. We also observed that decreasing the number of state variables by 36% in our PBPK model template led to a decrease of 20–35% in computational time. Other factors, such as the number of output variables, the method for implementing conditional statements, and the method for estimating blood concentrations, did not have large impacts on simulation time. In general, simulations with PBPK model template implementations of models required more time than simulations with stand-alone implementations, but the flexibility and (human) time savings in preparing and reviewing a model implemented using the PBPK model template may justify the increases in computational time requirements. Conclusion Our findings concerning how PBPK model design and implementation decisions impact computational speed can benefit anyone seeking to develop, improve, or apply a PBPK model, with or without the PBPK model template.

Bernstein, Amanda S.↗
DOE OSTI2019

The Open High Throughput Computing Content Delivery Network

LHC experiments make extensive use of web proxy caches, especially for software distribution via the CernVM File System and for conditions data via the Frontier Distributed Database Caching system. Since many jobs read the same data, cache hit rates are high and hence most of the traffic flows efficiently over Local Area Networks. However, it is not always possible to have local web caches, particularly for opportunistic cases whereexperiments have little control over site services. The Open High Throughput Computing (HTC) Content Delivery Network (CDN), openhtc.io, aims to address this by using web proxy caches from a commercial CDN provider. Cloudflare provides a simple interface for registering DNS aliases of any web server and does reverse proxy web caching on those aliases. The openhtc.io domain is hosted on Cloudflare's free tier CDN which has no bandwidth limit and makes use of data centers throughout the world, so the average performance for clients is much improved compared to reading from CERN or a Tier 1. The load on WLCG servers is also significantly reduced. WLCG Web Proxy Auto Discovery is used to select local web caches when they are available and otherwise select openhtc.io caching. This paper describes the Open HTC CDN in detail and provides initial results from its use for LHC@Home and USCMS opportunistic computing.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2019

A Joint Experimental/Computational Study of Non-Idealities in Practical Rotating Detonation Engines. Final Project Report, 10/2015 - 09/2020

The overall goal of this work is to understand non-ideal effects in practical rotating detonation engines (RDEs) that impede the realization of theoretical detonation cycle efficiencies. The main limitations in RDE operability and performance are associated with practical design considerations, where non-idealities, such as incomplete mixing, fuel leakage, secondary deflagration, instabilities and geometry-dependent effects, reduce the effectiveness of the detonation-based compression cycle. The goal of this work is to take a fundamental point of view, and use detailed experiments and simulations to understand non-ideal effects, their contribution to loss in pressure gain, and RDE operability limitations. Current research is mainly focused on design and overall operability of RDEs. Our approach is instead to look at the physics of basic processes occurring in RDEs. In particular, we consider processes associated with non-idealities and we use a combination of laser and non-laser diagnostics and large eddy simulation/direct numerical simulation computations to investigate these underlying phenomena. By advancing the fundamental science of detonation wave propagation in RDE flowfields, and subject to non-ideal conditions, will enable design to progress more rapidly. This work is a collaborative work involving experiments, simulations and external domain experts to understand the physics behind RDEs and non-idealities. Through collaboration between experimentalists and modelers, we have developed targeted experiments to investigate fundamental aspects of the operation of an RDE. Furthermore, we have developed advanced combustion models that account for non-ideal effects in the operation of an RDE and are able to capture the complexities of realistic RDE configurations. We conduct detailed physical and computational experiments to investigate the flame structure ahead and behind detonation fronts in the presence of non-uniform or incomplete mixing, leakage and secondary combustion. We use optical and laser diagnostics to identify the structure of the detonation wave. We consider different working parameters, such injection scheme, geometry, flow rates and equivalence ratios. We brought in DNS/LES capabilities to RDE design by specifically incorporating detailed kinetics and pressure-sensitive combustion physics, thus improving upon current practice based on an Euler equations description that do not take into account viscous effects, while the combustion process is introduced using an induction time based global ignition model. These current models lack the capability of capturing non-ideal mixing and fuel stratification effects — limitations that models and analysis developed in this work have been reduced. Furthermore, the significant changes in pressure within the domain due to the detonation requires combustion models with time-varying pressure effects. In this regard, using DNS with detailed chemistry, and developing LES-based combustion models for complex geometries with detonation wave has enable to understand some of the underlying phenomena controlling the operation of these devices. The main objectives developed by the project are the following ones: Objective 1. Develop canonical and operational RDE configurations, as well as imaging-based diagnostics for understanding fuel stratification, leakage, deflagration and detonation structure under non-ideal conditions in RDEs. Objective 2. Develop detailed computational tools for studying detonation wave propagation processes in RDEs. Objective 3. Develop a comprehensive picture of the fundamental physics governing non-idealities and how they impact RDE performance and operability from both experiments and simulations.

03 NATURAL GAS↗
DOE OSTI2023

Investigation of Farm-to-Farm Interactions and Blockage Effects from AWAKEN using Large-Scale Numerical Simulations

A large-scale numerical computation of five wind farms was performed as a part of the American Wake Experiment (AWAKEN). This high-fidelity computation used the ExaWind/AMR-Wind LES solver to simulate a 100km × 100km domain containing 541 turbines under unstable atmospheric conditions matching previous measurements. The turbines were represented by Joukowski and OpenFAST coupled actuator disk models. Results of this qualitative comparison illustrate the interactions with wind farms with large scale ABL structures in the flow, as well as the extent of downstream wake penetration in the flow and blockage effects around wind farms.

Cheung, Lawrence C.↗
DOE OSTI2022

A Common Tracking Software Project

Abstract The reconstruction of the trajectories of charged particles, or track reconstruction, is a key computational challenge for particle and nuclear physics experiments. While the tuning of track reconstruction algorithms can depend strongly on details of the detector geometry, the algorithms currently in use by experiments share many common features. At the same time, the intense environment of the High-Luminosity LHC accelerator and other future experiments is expected to put even greater computational stress on track reconstruction software, motivating the development of more performant algorithms. We present here A Common Tracking Software (ACTS) toolkit, which draws on the experience with track reconstruction algorithms in the ATLAS experiment and presents them in an experiment-independent and framework-independent toolkit. It provides a set of high-level track reconstruction tools which are agnostic to the details of the detection technologies and magnetic field configuration and tested for strict thread-safety to support multi-threaded event processing. We discuss the conceptual design and technical implementation of ACTS, selected applications and performance of ACTS, and the lessons learned.

97 MATHEMATICS AND COMPUTING↗
DOE OSTI2021

A multi-dimensional parametric study of variability in multi-phase flow dynamics during geologic CO 2 sequestration accelerated with machine learning

Successful geologic CO 2 storage projects depend on numerical simulations to predict reservoir performance during site selection, injection verification, and post-injection monitoring phases of the project. These numerical simulations solve non-linear sets of coupled partial differential equations, while accounting for multi-phase fluid dynamics on the basis of constitutive equations that are embedded into the solution scheme. As a consequence, individual simulations often require tens to hundreds of hours to complete on high-performance computing clusters. Moreover, laboratory experiments reveal that parametric functions for capillary pressure and relative permeability exhibit substantial variability, even within the same rock type. This combination of computational expense and wide-ranging parametric variability means that there remains substantial uncertainty in the behavior of multi-phase CO 2 -water systems, particularly in the context of feedbacks between relative permeability and capillary pressure. To bridge this knowledge gap, here we develop a novel workflow that utilizes physics-based numerical simulation to train an artificial neural network (ANN) emulator for interrogating the multivariate parameter space that governs both capillary pressure and relative permeability. With this approach, the ANN is trained to emulate both fluid pressure distribution and CO 2 saturation, which are then interrogated quantitatively to generate parametric response surface mappings with high-fidelity resolution. Results from this study initially show that capillary entry pressure is the dominant control on both CO 2 plume geometry and fluid pressure propagation when considering the combined effects of capillary pressure and relative permeability, particularly when phase interference is low and residual CO 2 saturation is high. Moreover, the ANN emulator provides tremendous computational speed-up by computing 2691 individual simulations in several minutes; whereas, the same simulation ensemble would have required ~3 years of simulation time using only physics-based simulation methods (25,000 times speed up).

58 GEOSCIENCES↗
DOE OSTI2022

LDRD 226360 Final Project Report: Simulated X-ray Diffraction and Machine Learning for Optimizing Dynamic Experiment Analysis

This report is the final documentation for the one-year LDRD project 226360: Simulated X-ray Diffraction and Machine Learning for Optimizing Dynamic Experiment Analysis. As Sandia has successfully developed in-house X-ray diffraction tools for study of atomic structure in experiments, it has become increasingly important to develop computational analysis methods to support these experiments. When dynamically compressed lattices and orientations are not known a priori, the identification requires a cumbersome and sometimes intractable search of possible final states. These final states can include phase transition, deformation and mixed/evolving states. Our work consists of three parts: (1) development of an XRD simulation tool and use of traditional data science methods to match XRD patterns to experiments; (2) development of ML-based models capable of decomposing and identifying the lattice and orientation components of multicomponent experimental diffraction patterns; and (3) conducting experiments which showcase these new analysis tools in the study of phase transition mechanisms. Our target material has been cadmium sulfide, which exhibits complex orientation-dependent phase transformation mechanisms. In our current one-year LDRD, we have begun the analysis of high-quality c-axis CdS diffraction data from DCS and Thor experiments, which had until recently eluded orientation identification.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2023

Particle size and shape effect of Crumbler® rotary shear-milled granular woody biomass on the performance of Acrison® screw feeder: A computational and experimental investigation

Physical experiments and discrete element model (DEM) simulations are conducted to evaluate particle characteristics and operation parameter effects on screw feeding performance for rotary shear-milled Douglas fir. Three performance metrics are used: mass flow rate, shaft driving torque, and specific energy consumption. The impact of particle size, particle size distribution (PSD), shaft rotational speed (rpm), and hopper dimensions on the performance are investigated. All employed performance metrics reveal the superior flowability of the 2-mm particles in contrast to the larger 6-mm counterpart. Remarkably, wider PSD results in poorer flowability than the two mono-sized particles, proving the flowability enhancement achieved by narrower PSD of the woody feedstock. More importantly, DEM simulations unveil PSD-induced degradation in flowability is attributed to mechanical interlocking and particle segregation effects. Furthermore, higher shaft rpm causes higher mass flow rate at the cost of higher specific energy consumption due to viscous dissipation and changes in flow pattern.

09 BIOMASS FUELS↗
DOE OSTI2018

A non-conforming finite volume element method for the two-dimensional Navier–Stokes/Darcy system

We consider the discretization of the stationary Navier–Stokes/Darcy system in a two-dimensional domain by the non-conforming finite volume element method. We use the standard formulation of the Navier–Stokes/Darcy system in the primitive variables and take as approximation space the non-conforming P{sub 1} elements for velocity and piezometric head and piecewise constant elements for the hydrostatic pressure. We prove that the unique solution of the non-conforming finite volume element method converges to the true solution with optimal order for velocity and piezometric head in discrete H{sup 1} norm and for pressure in discrete L{sup 2} norm, respectively. Finally, some numerical experiments are presented to validate our theoretical results.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2019

Building Towards Discovery: Preparing for New Physics at the LHC [Final papers]

Particle physics today is at a crossroads. The Standard Model (SM) has survived four decades of experimental scrutiny and spurred multiple landmark discoveries, culminating with the 2012 discovery of the Higgs boson at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). Yet we know that this model is incomplete. We live in a universe dominated by matter and energy unaccounted for by the SM– and the Higgs boson itself is improbably light. It falls to the current generation of high-energy physicists to go beyond the model and enter a new era of discovery. Andeen is leading a new research group at the University of Texas at Austin (UT-Austin) that is endeavoring to reveal novel physical phenomena through the discovery of new particles with the ATLAS detector at the LHC. A key element of our experience thus far has been collaborating closely with theorists to identify both interesting new physics models. In addition we work closely with electrical engineers in detector development. Our approach is therefore unique in its integration of theory, analysis and instrumentation, and is encapsulated in a three-pronged strategy. First is the essential task of analyzing our rapidly expanding dataset. I am directing my group in searches for vector-like quarks (VLQs). Should they exist, these hypothetical particles would indicate physics scenarios beyond the SM. Experimental constraints suggest VLQs decay preferentially to a third generation quark and a Higgs, W or Z boson. Today at 13 TeV, both multi-lepton (electron and muon) and jet substructure signatures are sensitive to identifying the VLQ decay products. The large Run 2 dataset (collected through 2018) of up to 150 fb -1 will allow us to simultaneously use multi-lepton signatures with jet-substructure in searches for new physics. UT-Austin is well positioned to be a leader in this area. Prof. P. Onyisi’s postdoctoral researchers and graduate students are searching for ttH signatures in three- and four-lepton channels and we benefit from their experience. We are also aided by the availability of the Texas Advanced Computing Center, which provides us with easy access to several high performance computing (HPC) systems. My previous experience in VLQ searches propels the work today. I have published both the first investigation into the single production of top partners (signatures of composite Higgs Models) of any LHC experiment 1 as well as one of the first analyses utilizing jet-substructure techniques to search for the single production of vector-like quarks. 2 Adding to this is my group’s work with the Liquid Argon (LAr) calorimeter, the primary instrument we use in detecting electrons. Second, my group is contributing to the operations of the LAr calorimeter while preparing to install and commission new electronic hardware (the Phase 1 upgrade) to this crucial component of the ATLAS detector. I have played a leading role in the development of a critical, radiation-hard, high-speed Analog-to-Digital Convertor (ADC) that is essential inselecting data collected by the LAr calorimeter. 3 This upgrade will improve the e!ciency with which we can select events in our detector. Postdoctoral researcher N. Nikiforou (based at CERN May 2016 onward) and graduate students (one based at CERN from the start of 2018 onward, with one additional graduate students from summer 2018) are growing our already deep experience in the operation of the LAr calorimeter to prepare for installation and commissioning of the new trigger readout in 2018-2019. My group will then be positioned to be the first to exploit the potential of the improved triggers in our multi-lepton searches for new physics. Third, a suite of preparations for a major detector upgrade, scheduled to be completed in 2024, are underway. My group is building hardware that will improve the electronic readout of the ATLAS detector. I am partnering with a group in the Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department at UT-Austin (Prof. N. Sun) to employ his work at the cutting edge of ADC research. We will support an ECE grad student for the layout of this design, and collaborate with engineering groups at Nevis Laboratory and the Electrical Engineering Department (Prof. P. Kinget) at Columbia University to integrate our ADC with gain selection circuits. We will provide this critical component of the ASIC at the challenging boundary of the analog and digital signals in the LAr calorimeter readout chain. Furthermore UT-Austin will lead the testing of this device during development and production (approximately 55,000 four-channel chips). This effort compliments my work as the deliverables manager for the LAr front-end ASICs for the US ATLAS HL-LHC project and strengthens the US commitment to that upgrade.In so doing, my group at the UT-Austin will be at the forefront of efforts to probe the structure of the universe to an unmatched degree both at the current LHC and with its future upgrades. Through both the ongoing analysis of data at the ATLAS detector and improvements to the detector itself, an answer to what lies beyond the SM may come within our grasp. My background in instrumentation and analysis allows my group to establish a singular research effort on the ATLAS experiment. In addition to answering fundamental questions about the subatomic world, the technologies developed could advance the broader scientific community and result in valuable spin-offs.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗