Lemon: an MPI parallel I/O library for data encapsulation using LIME

We introduce Lemon, an MPI parallel I/O library that is intended to allow for efficient parallel I/O of both binary and metadata on massively parallel architectures. Motivated by the demands of the Lattice Quantum Chromodynamics community, the data is stored in the SciDAC Lattice QCD Interchange Message Encapsulation format. This format allows for storing large blocks of binary data and corresponding metadata in the same file. Even if designed for LQCD needs, this format might be useful for any application with this type of data profile. The design, implementation and application of Lemon are described. We conclude with presenting the excellent scaling properties of Lemon on state of the art high performance computers

Evidence for a conformal phase in SU(N) gauge theories

We discuss the existence of a conformal phase in SU(N) gauge theories in four dimensions. In this lattice study we explore the model in the bare parameter space, varying the lattice coupling and bare mass. Simulations are carried out with three colors and twelve flavors of dynamical staggered fermions in the fundamental representation. The analysis of the chiral order parameter and the mass spectrum of the theory indicates the restoration of chiral symmetry at zero temperature and the presence of a Coulomb-like phase, depicting a scenario compatible with the existence of an infrared stable fixed point at nonzero coupling. Our analysis supports the conclusion that the onset of the conformal window for QCD-like theories is smaller than Nf=12, before the loss of asymptotic freedom at sixteen and a half flavors. We discuss open questions and future directions.Comment: 11 pages, 11 figures; extended analysis, conclusions unchanged. (version to appear in PRD

Experiences with OpenMP in tmLQCD

An overview is given of the lessons learned from the introduction of multi-threading using OpenMP in tmLQCD. In particular, programming style, performance measurements, cache misses, scaling, thread distribution for hybrid codes, race conditions, the overlapping of communication and computation and the measurement and reduction of certain overheads are discussed. Performance measurements and sampling profiles are given for different implementations of the hopping matrix computational kernel.Comment: presented at the 31st International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory (Lattice 2013), 29 July - 3 August 2013, Mainz, German

Topology, Random Matrix Theory and the spectrum of the Wilson Dirac operator

We study the spectrum of the hermitian Wilson Dirac operator in the epsilon-regime of QCD in the quenched approximation and compare it to predictions from Wilson Random Matrix Theory. Using the distributions of single eigenvalues in the microscopic limit and for specific topological charge sectors, we examine the possibility of extracting estimates of the low energy constants which parametrise the lattice artefacts in Wilson chiral perturbation theory. The topological charge of the field configurations is obtained from a field theoretical definition as well as from the flow of eigenvalues of the hermitian Wilson Dirac operator, and we determine the extent to which the two are correlated.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, proceedings of the XXIX International Symposium on Lattice Field Theory - Lattice 2011, July 10-16, 2011, Squaw Valley, Lake Tahoe, Californi

Holography of the Conformal Window

Inspired by the model of Jarvinen and Kiritsis, we present a simple holographic model for the on set of chiral symmetry breaking at the edge of the conformal window in QCD in the Veneziano limit. Our most naive model enforces the QCD two loop running coupling on a D3/D7 holographic brane system. The mass of the holographic field, describing the chiral condensate in the model, is driven below the BF bound when the running is sufficiently strong, triggering chiral symmetry breaking for N_f/N_c<2.9. This model though contains too great a remnant of supersymmetry and does not correctly encode the perturbative anomalous dimensions of QCD. In a second model we impose the QCD anomalous dimension result and find chiral symmetry breaking sets in for N_f/N_c=4 at a BKT-type phase transition. In this case the transition is triggered when the anomalous dimension of the mass operator \gamma_m=1.Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures, v2: minor corrections, improved Figure

Generation and interactions of energetic tin ions

I investigated the processes taking place in extreme ultraviolet (EUV) light sources. Light of these light sources is not visible for the human eye, but has various scientific and industrial applications. The light is created in a laser-produced plasma, from which also particles (ions) originate which can interact with the source environment (e.g. the machines in which the light is used). The plasma itself and the interaction with the surroundings is never systematically studied, as these plasmas do not appear in nature. The formation and expansion of the plasma is studied with laser ablation experiments, in which also the ion yield and energies are recorded. This helps to find better laser settings which leads to less ions while it does not diminish the desired EUV light. We discovered that the plasma expansion can be predicted by relatively simple models. After establishing the ion energies, I investigated the interaction with solid targets. We look at the scattering (‘reflection’) of incoming ions by the surface, and compare these distributions with the results of various simulation packages. The interaction takes place mainly at and just under the surface in the examined energy range, what is well-predicted by the simulation packages. The interaction with the topmost surface layer is not properly simulated. More elaborate simulation methods are apparently necessary to predict this interaction