 |
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
College News
14 June 2004
Royal Holloway physicists connect up to the grid
| The
Physics Department at Royal Holloway, University of London has just
installed a 'PC Farm' - technology that is part of a wider project
set to revolutionise the way we use computers in the future.
Supplied by Compusys and funded by SRIF*, the PC Farm consists of 75 PCs linked to similar PC Farms in the UK, creating a 'supercomputer' capable of dealing with over 10 petabytes of data - the equivalent of more than 20 million CDs. |
 |
Deployed by a collaboration of UK Universities and research laboratories, and CERN*, the PC Farms will give scientists access to a computing grid with power equivalent to 70,000 of today's fastest computers. In what will eventually become a worldwide operation, scientists will be able to harness storage, software, processing power and programs from computers across the globe. In the future, this computing grid could become accessible to the public in the same way as the internet, allowing us to tap into vast amounts of processing power and storage, and providing almost limitless commercial opportunities.
Royal Holloway's Centre for Particle Physics will use the technology to facilitate its research using the world's largest particle accelerator, the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), which is being constructed at CERN, in Switzerland, and should be operational by 2007. The project will generate huge amounts of data, and this has triggered the need for a computer powerful enough to cope with it.
Dr Simon George, Research Officer within the Centre said: "Particle physics experiments are a challenging testing ground for new computing technology that within a few years will be regarded as a common feature of everyday life, as was clearly illustrated with the World Wide Web, initially developed at CERN."
The LHC, located in a huge underground cavern on the France/Switzerland border, will accelerate and collide protons to produce subatomic debris, enabling scientists to examine the composition of rare particles and providing an insight into how the universe was formed. The network of PC Farms across the world will provide the means to examine millions of such collisions.
The Royal Holloway Centre for Particle Physics is working closely with four other London-based universities on the project. These universities have been funded by the SRIF award for London E-science, while the total project is funded jointly by PPARC*, HEFCE*, SHEFC* and the European Union for a total of £33 million.
To find out more about Grid PP visit www.gridpp.ac.uk/
* CERN The European
Organisation for Nuclear Research is the world's largest particle physics
research centre, based near Geneva, Switzerland.
* SRIF The Science Research Investment Fund is a joint initiative
by the Office of Science and Technology (OST) and the Department for
Education and Skills (DfES).
* PPARC The Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council is
the UK's strategic science investment agency. By directing, coordination
and funding research, education and training in particle physics and
astronomy, PPARC delivers world-leading science, technologies and people
for the UK.
* HEFCE The Higher Education Funding Council for England distributes
public money for teaching and research to universities and colleges.
In doing so, it aims to promote high quality education and research.
The Council also plays a key role in ensuring accountability and promoting
good practice.
* SHEFC The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council was established
in June as a non-departmental public body responsible to the Scottish
Executive. The Council provides financial support for teaching, research
and associated activities in Scottish higher education institutions.
ENDS
Images of the PC Farm and members of the Centre for Particle Physics
are available on request.
Royal Holloway, University
of London, Press Office:
Christine Long
Press & PR Officer
01784 443967, christine.long@rhul.ac.uk
Vicky Cousins
Assistant Press & Communications Officer
01784 414480, victoria.cousins@rhul.ac.uk
Editor's Notes
Ranked as the second best teaching department in the country by The
Guardian, The Department of Physics at Royal Holloway is one
of the major centres for Physics teaching and research in the University
of London. It has an international reputation for its research which
ranges from fundamental studies in the basic properties of matter at
the lowest temperatures and highest energies to advanced industrial
applications of Physics. Its expertise across the whole subject - combined
with an excellent record for teaching - enables it to offer a wide and
attractive range of undergraduate degree programmes covering different
areas of Physics. Its high standards are supported by excellent specialist
facilities. Visit www.rhul.ac.uk/physics
The Centre for Particle Physics at Royal Holloway has a varied
programme of research activities at a number of international research
centres across the world. Its members are currently working on four
major experimental projects: the ATLAS experiment at the LHC, the BABAR
experiment at Stanford in California, plans for a new international
"Future Linear Collider" (FLC) and e-science (the Grid).
The Centre has strong scientific links with many other laboratories
in the UK, Europe and elsewhere. The Centre has about 35 members and
is supported by grants from PPARC, the European Union and the Royal
Society. Visit www.pp.rhul.ac.uk/
