Scientific Computing and Visualisation
Introduction
Astronomical datasets are growing at an exponential rate: high performance computing applications in astronomy are enabling complex simulations with many billions of particles, while the forthcoming generation of telescopes will collect data at rates in excess of terabytes per day. This data deluge, both now and into the future, presents some critical challenges for the way astronomers derive new knowledge from their data. The Scientific Computing and Visualisation (SCV) group at Swinburne's Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing is working to maximise the scientific return from data with particular emphasis on:
- visualisation: the process of turning data into computer-generated images, which can be explored interactively, and analyzed quantitatively;
- advanced computing architectures: the application of new computing architectures, such as graphics processing units (GPUs), to accelerate simulation and analysis; and
- novel technologies: the use of mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets to explore and/or control the exploration and presentation of data, and the dissemination of interactive visualisations via 3D-PDF, Flash/Flex and HTML 5 standards.
The Scientific Computing and Visualisation group has contributed to research projects including: WiggleZ and related galaxy surveys, pulsar timing and searching, galaxy evolution and formation simulations, star and planet formation modelling, gravitational lensing simulations, and the development of software correlators. In 2010, the Centre for Astrophysics & Supercomputing was recognised as an NVIDIA CUDA Research Centre, due in part to the work we are undertaking on adopting GPUs for scientific computing in astronomy.
Research
- S2PLOT: an advanced, interactive 3-d graphics programming library. [link]
- Algorithm analysis for advanced architectures: an understanding of the atomic algorithms of astronomy will lead to improvements in the way future multi- and many-core architectures are used in astrophysical supercomputing.
- GPU-based volume rendering of multi-spectral astronomical data: using GPUs as a fast, powerful processing tool for visualising multi-dimensional data from next generation facilities such as the Australian SKA Pathfinder.
- 3-d PDF and s2web: digital publications offer exciting new ways for astronomers and other scientists to publish interactive, 3-d datasets.
- GPU-based Gravitational Microlensing: is an application area that is benefitting from the use of GPUs for computation. Find out about the GERLUMPH project here.
Personnel |
News
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| Dr Christopher Fluke | Faculty | web page | |
| Ben Barsdell | PhD student | web page | |
| Amr Hassan | PhD student | web page | |
| Giorgos Vernardos | PhD student | web page | |
| Affiliates | |||
| Dr David Barnes | Faculty | Monash University | Prof Matthew Bailes | Faculty |
| Dr Darren Croton | Faculty | web page | |
| A/Prof Jarrod Hurley | Faculty | web page | |
| Dr Willem van Straten | Faculty | web page | |
| Max Bernyk | PhD student | web page | |
| Paul Coster | PhD student | web page | |
| Juan Madrid | PhD student | web page | |
| Anna Sippel | PhD student | web page | |
| Past Members | |||
| Nick Bate | Postdoctoral Fellow | ||
PublicationsA full publication list is available here. FacilitiesThe SCV group makes extensive use of the following facilities and hardware:
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Gallery
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