X Computational Physics

Developing multiphysics simulation codes to support national nuclear security applications

Research in computational physics and the development of validated codes, models, and algorithms

In X Computational Physics (XCP) we take advantage of some of the world's fastest and most advanced computing platforms running state-of-the-art simulation codes to study a variety of complex physics problems.

Research and Capabilities

Modeling and Simulation
Computational Methods, Algorithms, and Physical Models
Monte Carlo Methods, Codes, and Applications
Nuclear Data Science and Engineering
Computational Fluid and Solid Dynamics
Atomic and Plasma Physics
Materials Modeling under Extreme Conditions
Plasma Theory and Applications
Multiphysics Verification, Validation, and Uncertainty Quantification

Integrated Physics Codes (XCP-IPC)
The Integrated Physics Codes Branch of the X-Computational Physics Division develops, integrates, and delivers multi-physics, production simulation capabilities that enable the design, assessment, and certification of our nuclear stockpile.
Physics Modelling, Methods and Data (XCP-PMMD)
XCP-PMMD develops and delivers physics models, methods, and data required within the multi-physics simulations used to underwrite modern stockpile stewardship. The materials models and physical data are required to define and constrain the systems of equations underlying these simulations. Advanced methods and algorithms are essential to computing the solutions and interpreting the results on large computers.
Physics Validation and Application (XCP-PVA)
The XCP-PVA branch is responsible for quantifying and improving the confidence in our multi-physics simulations codes for weapons physics, high energy density physics, and experimental design. Our staff 1) develop plasma physics theory and simulations to aid the understanding and design of high energy density experiments, 2) establish methods and confidence bases for verification, validation, and uncertainty quantification of multi-physics codes and prediction, and 3), demonstrate the implications of weapons explosions by modeling weapon output, the physical environment created by weapon output, and the impact of these effects on people and equipment.

In the News

How a wildfire kicked up a 45,000-foot column of flames

The work of Jesse Canfield (XCP-4) on computational modeling of forest fires is being featured in the July issue of Popular Science.

Publications

Charlie Starrett (XCP-5) describes a new advancement in orbital-free molecular dynamics in a recent issue of Physical Review E. Read all about "Thomas-Fermi simulations of dense plasmas without pseudopotentials" at https://journals.aps.org/pre/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevE.96.013206

Brian Haines (XCP-2), Austin Yi (XCP-6), Rick Olson (XCP-6), and Paul Bradley (XCP-6), with co-authors, recently published a description of xRAGE ICF simulations driven by an x-ray flux source from HYDRA: "The effects of convergence ratio on the implosion behavior of DT layered inertial confinement fusion capsules", Physics of Plasmas 24 , 072709 (2017); doi: 10.1063/1.4993065

Misha Shashkov (XCP-4) was recently a co-author on: "Convergence analysis of the mimetic finite difference method for elliptic problems with staggered discretizations of diffusion coefficients", by G. Manzini, K. Lipnikov, J. D. Moulton, M. Shashkov. SIAM Journal on Numerical Analysis (SINUM).