1 research outputs found
A multiphysics and multiscale software environment for modeling astrophysical systems
We present MUSE, a software framework for combining existing computational
tools for different astrophysical domains into a single multiphysics,
multiscale application. MUSE facilitates the coupling of existing codes written
in different languages by providing inter-language tools and by specifying an
interface between each module and the framework that represents a balance
between generality and computational efficiency. This approach allows
scientists to use combinations of codes to solve highly-coupled problems
without the need to write new codes for other domains or significantly alter
their existing codes. MUSE currently incorporates the domains of stellar
dynamics, stellar evolution and stellar hydrodynamics for studying generalized
stellar systems. We have now reached a "Noah's Ark" milestone, with (at least)
two available numerical solvers for each domain. MUSE can treat multi-scale and
multi-physics systems in which the time- and size-scales are well separated,
like simulating the evolution of planetary systems, small stellar associations,
dense stellar clusters, galaxies and galactic nuclei.
In this paper we describe three examples calculated using MUSE: the merger of
two galaxies, the merger of two evolving stars, and a hybrid N-body simulation.
In addition, we demonstrate an implementation of MUSE on a distributed computer
which may also include special-purpose hardware, such as GRAPEs or GPUs, to
accelerate computations. The current MUSE code base is publicly available as
open source at http://muse.liComment: 24 pages, To appear in New Astronomy Source code available at
http://muse.l