Physics Department, University of Torino — 2015
Parallel Computing Techniques for High Energy Physics
Paolo Viviani
Abstract
Modern experimental achievements, with LHC results as a prominent but not exclusive representative, have undisclosed a new range of challenges concerning theoretical com- putations. Tree level QED calculation are no more satisfactory due to the very small experimental uncertainty of precision e+ e- measurements, so Next To Leading and Next to Next to Leading Order calculations are required. At the same time many-legs, high-order QCD processes needed to simulate LHC events are raising even more the bar of computational complexity. The drive for the present work has been the interest in calculating high multiplicity Higgs boson processes with a dedicated software library (RECOLA) currently under development at the University of Torino, as well as the related technological challenges. This thesis undertakes the task of exploring the possibilities offered by present and upcoming computing technologies in order to face these challenges properly. The first two chapters outlines the theoretical context and the available technologies. In chapter 3 a a case study is examined in full detail, in order to explore the suitability of different parallel computing solutions. In the chapter 4, some of those solutions are implemented in the context of the RECOLA library, allowing it to handle processes at a previously unexplored scale of complexity. Alongside, the potential of new, cost-effective parallel architectures is tested.
@mastersthesis{tesi:viviani:15,
abstract = {Modern experimental achievements, with LHC results as a prominent but not exclusive representative, have undisclosed a new range of challenges concerning theoretical com- putations. Tree level QED calculation are no more satisfactory due to the very small experimental uncertainty of precision e+ e- measurements, so Next To Leading and Next to Next to Leading Order calculations are required. At the same time many-legs, high-order QCD processes needed to simulate LHC events are raising even more the bar of computational complexity. The drive for the present work has been the interest in calculating high multiplicity Higgs boson processes with a dedicated software library (RECOLA) currently under development at the University of Torino, as well as the related technological challenges. This thesis undertakes the task of exploring the possibilities offered by present and upcoming computing technologies in order to face these challenges properly. The first two chapters outlines the theoretical context and the available technologies. In chapter 3 a a case study is examined in full detail, in order to explore the suitability of different parallel computing solutions. In the chapter 4, some of those solutions are implemented in the context of the RECOLA library, allowing it to handle processes at a previously unexplored scale of complexity. Alongside, the potential of new, cost-effective parallel architectures is tested.},
author = {Paolo Viviani},
date-added = {2015-09-27 12:36:54 +0000},
date-modified = {2015-09-27 13:28:24 +0000},
keywords = {fastflow,impact},
school = {Physics Department, University of Torino},
title = {Parallel Computing Techniques for High Energy Physics},
year = {2015}}