Isospin effect in the nuclear reaction induced by neutron-halo nuclei

We study the average property of the isospin effect of reaction induced by halo-neutron nuclei He-8 and He-10 in the intermediate energy heavy ion collisions using the isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics model (IQMD). This study is based on the extended neutron density distribution for the halo-neutron nuclei, which includes the average property of the isospin effect-of reaction mechanism and loose inner structure. The extended neutron density distribution brings an important isospin. effect into the average property of reaction mechanism because the interaction potential and nucleon-nucleon(N-N) cross section in IQMD model depend sensitively on the density distribution of colliding system. In order to see clearly the average properties of reaction mechanism induced by halo-neutron nuclei we also compare the results for the neutron-halo colliding systems with those for the corresponding stable colliding systems under the same incident channel condition. We found that the extended density distribution for the neutron-halo projectile brings an important isospin effect to the reaction mechanism, which leads to the decrease of nuclear stopping R, yet induces obvious increase of the neutron-proton ratio of nucleon emissions and isospin fractionation ratio for all beam energies studied in this work, compared to the corresponding stable colliding system. In this case, nuclear stopping, the neutron-proton ratio of nucleon emissions and isospin fractionation ratio induced by halo-neutron nuclei can be used as possible probes for studying the average property of the isospin effect of reaction mechanism and extracting the information of symmetry potential and in-medium N-N cross section by the neutron-halo nuclei in heavy ion collisions.

Probing the symmetrical potential in nuclear reaction iinduced by neutron-halo nuclei

In terms of the isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics model (IQMD), important isospin effect in the halo-neutron nucleus induced reaction mechanism is. investigated, and consequently, the symmetrical potential form is extracted in the intermediate energy heavy ion collision. Because the interactive potential and in-medium nucleon-nucleon (N-N) cross section in the IQMD model sensitively depend on the density distribution of the colliding system, this type of study is much more based on the extended density distribution with a looser inner nuclear structure of the halo-neutron nucleus. Such a density distribution includes averaged characteristics of the isospin effect of the reaction mechanism and the looser inner nuclear structure. In order to understand clearly the isospin effect of the halo-neutron nucleus induced reaction mechanism, the effects caused by the neutron-halo nucleus and by the stable nucleus with the same mass are compared under the same condition of the incident channel. It is found that in the concerned beam energy region, the ratio of the emitted neutrons and protons and the ratio of the isospin fractionations in the neutron-halo nucleus case are considerably larger than those in the stable nucleus case. Therefore, the information of the symmetry potential in the heavy ion collision can be extracted through such a procedure.

Isospin- and momentum-dependent interaction in isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamics

An isospin-dependent quantum molecular dynamical model (IQMD) is developed, with the isospin degree of freedom in the momentum-dependent interaction(MDI) included in IQMD, to obtain an isospin- and momentum-dependent interaction (IMDI) in IQMD. We investigate the effect of IMDI on the isospin fractionation ratio and its dynamical mechanism in the intermediate energy heavy ion collisions. It is found that the IMDI induces the significant reductions in the isospin fractionation ratio for all of beam energies, impact parameters, neutron-proton ratios and mass number of colliding systems. However, the strong dependence of isospin fractionation ratio on the symmetrical potential is preserved, with the isospin degree of freedom included in the MDI, i.e. the isospin fractionation ratio is still a good probe for extracting the information about the equation of state of isospin asymmetrical nuclear matter.

Entrance channel effects on the role of isospin-dependent momentum interaction in isospin fractionation in heavy ion collisions

An isospin degree of freedom is inserted into the momentum dependent interaction in the quantum molecular dynamics model to obtain an isospin dependent momentum interaction given in a form practically usable in isospin dependent quantum molecular dynamics model. We investigate the entrance channel effects for the role of isospin momentum dependent interaction on the isospin fractionation ratio and its dynamical mechanism in the intermediate energy heavy ion collisions. It is found that the isospin dependent momentum interaction induces a significant reduction of isospin fractionation ratio under all entrance channel conditions. However the strong dependence of isospin fractionation ratio on the symmetry potential is preserved after considering the isospin degree of freedom in the momentum dependent interaction.

中低能区He2++He碰撞反应转移电离机制研究

反应显微成像谱仪能够对离子-原子碰撞反应中的末态产物进行运动学完 全测量。本论文基于反应显微成像谱仪对70-400keV He 2+ -He 碰撞中转移电离机 制进行了实验研究。 通过对不同出射角度电子的能谱研究表明， ECC电子和速度分布在0和入射 炮弹速度之间的“分子化”特征电子是出射电子能谱的主要贡献，前者是动力学 两步过程的作用，后者可由“准分子”激发模型给予定性解释，“鞍点电子”仅 是后者的一部分。通过对不同平面内出射电子的速度分布研究发现出射电子主要 集中在散射平面内，而且其速度分布介于0与炮弹速度之间且前向出射，同时在 炮弹与靶核核间轴处有一极小值；在入射离子能量较低时，出射电子空间分布较 为对称，随着入射离子能量的增加，出射电子逐渐靠近炮弹或靶核；与此同时， 由于 态电子与 态电子相互干涉，出射电子在散射平面内的分布还与碰撞参数 相关，在大碰撞参数下， 态电子的作用更加明显，而在小碰撞参数下 态电子 的作用更加显著。实验结果表明准分子激发和动力学两步过程是中低能He2+ -He 转移电离过程的两种主要机制。

中能中离子碰撞中的同位素标度

本论文利用同位旋相关的量子分子动力学（IQMD）模型,系统的研究了平均场中的对称势和动量相关作用以及两体碰撞对同位素标度的影响，发现动量相关作用和两体碰撞的同位旋相关性都对同位素标度参量α有明显的影响，具体说就是它们都减小了标度参量α的值。故α可以作为提取重离子碰撞过程中动量相关作用和核子－核子碰撞截面信息的物理观测量。论文利用同位素标度规律对核反应过程的平衡问题进行了研究，同时我们也利用同位素标度规律对IQMD模型中的时间信息进行了研究，提出了“碎裂时刻”的概念

同中子素核9C、8B、7Be和6Li在中能区与28Si反应总截面的测量

放射性束流(RIB)装置拓广了实验核物理在同位旋(T_z)自由度上从稳定核直到滴线核的广袤空间。通常，位于β-稳定线及其附近的核，N／Z在1－1.5范围变化，其分离能E_s无论对于质子还是中子，总是在6-8 MeV之间；对于远离稳定线的非稳定核，N／Z可在0.5-4范围变化，如~9C的N／Z = 0.5，~(10)He的N／Z = 4，而且分离能E_s是在0-40 MeV之间变化的，开展对这些远离β-稳定线非稳定核性质、结构的研究是目前核物理的前沿之一。核反应总截面σ_R是表征原子核性质特征的一个基本物理量，从实验测得的核反应总截面中可以得到有关核结构和核内核子分布的信息。在由放射性束流所产生奇异核的结构与各种反应机制研究中，反应总截面的测量更是有其特殊的重要性，具有奇异核结构如晕核的一个典型的物理特征就是其反应总截面要比稳定核大得多，Tanihata等人最早就是通过对放射性束流的相互作用截面的测量发现了具有奇异结构的核，即中子晕核。由于反应总截面的测量对探测器的要求不高，而且数据分析过程相对较为简单，因而反应总截面的测量已经成为放射性束核物理的研究的一个非常重要实验手段。中子晕核以及中子皮核的发现促使人们去寻找质子晕核和质子皮核，由于最后一个质子的结合能非常小只有136，keV，并且有较大的电四极矩，因而使得~8B成为质子晕的最大热门候选核，有关~8B是否具有质子晕核结构的问题，许多实验科学家得出了相互矛盾的回答；而目前有关另外一个质子晕候选核~9C的实验数据非常少，目前还没有人从实验上对~9C是否为质子晕核这一问题进行肯定或否定的回答。因此非常有必要测量~9C和~8B的反应总截面。对反应总截面进行研究的一个非常有用理论就是Glauber模型，该模型考虑了库伦效应的多次散射理论。它是一种基于自由核子-核子(N-N)碰撞的与核物质密度相关的理论，因而能够从实验测量到的反应总截面中提取核物质分布的信息。该理论对中低能区的反应总截面描述却有一个缺憾：理论值比实验值都要小。本论文主要描述了利用透射法测量了中能区同中子素核~9C、~8B、~7Be及~6Li与~(28)Si的反应总截面，并介绍了重离子碰撞以及描述重离子性质的几种常用理论。在论文里对实验测量得到的结果进行了理论分析，这些理论包括半经验的Shen公式、Glauber模型、BUU模型以及SHF理论。如果将~9C和~8B当成具有正常核结构来处理，半经验的Shen公式和Glauber模型(HO密度分布)的理论计算值总是比实验值要小得多；对于Glauber模型的理论计算值和实验值的差异，Ozawa等定义了一个差值因子d，方德清等人对轻核系统的d值进行了详细的分析。一般认为，正常核的d值在20％以内，而对于具有晕或皮奇异结构的核，其d值则超过30％，甚至可达50％，因此可根据一个核的d值是否超过30％而且比相邻核的d值明显大这种半经验的方法来判断一个核是否具有奇异结构；利用d值的分析结果，我们认为：~9C和~8B都具有奇异核结构；对于BUU模型用同样的方法引进差值因子d值，对于~9C和~8B有相同的结论。用SHF理论计算得到B和C同位素的密度分布结果显示，~9C和~8B的密度分布比相邻的同位素扩展都要大得多。为减小Glauber模型计算的反应截面与实验值的差别，本论文还对Glauber模型的输入密度形式进行了修改，在原单一HO分布基础上加一个高斯分布的尾巴，并对丰质子的同中子素核~9C、~8B、~7Be及~6Li与~(28)Si靶以及~(12)C和丰中子的C同位素核~(13-16)C与~(12)C靶的反应截面重新进行了计算，结果显示在中能区的计算值比原来单一密度分布的计算结构有明显改善。

中能核反应中的统计发射过程及核温度参量

在过去的几年里，利用兰州重离子加速器（HIRFL）提供的束流，以及在OUVERTURE合作研究中，利用意大利国家核物理研究院南方实验室（INFN-LNS）超导回旋提供的束流，进行了多次中能区重离子核反应实验研究工作。如，最初的46.7MeV/u ~(12)C+~(58)Ni，~(115)In，~(197)Au的实验及30MeV/u ~(40)Ar+~(58)Ni，~(64)Ni~(115)In和30MeV/u Ni轰击Ni，Au，Al在MULTICS+MEDEA：4π装置上进行的实验工作。此外，本人还从事过一些理论研究工作，包括多粒子散射形式理论和相关数学物理问题研究，量子分子动力学和量子统计模型计算。本文是从事这些核物理研究工作的积累，主要侧重于实验结果的物理内容分析，而不强调实验技术，数据处理的技巧。主要的物理内容有以下几个方面：1.对于利用双同位素产额比提取同位素核温度的方法进行研究推广，使得对于实验中碰到的仅有部分能谱可以实现很好同位素分辩的情况，即使不能得到总的同位素产额，仅仅通过一段能区的同位素产额也可提取核温度。用于具体的实验研究工作中后，对于46.7MeV/u ~(12)C+~(58)Ni，~(115)In，~(197)Au核反应过程，同一体系利用这种方法得到的同位素核温度和利用粒子非稳态布居提取的核温度一致。2.围绕核反应过程中核温度的参量的提取，对于双同位素产额比与核温度的刻度关系进行了分析研究，通过计算考虑中等质量碎片（IMF）内部激发能后的内部配分函数表明，中等质量碎片的内部激发对刻度关系有重要影响。零阶近似下区域密度近似的结果和Gemini模拟计算的结果反映了相同的情况。3.研究核反应机制，多个粒子散射的形式理论的必需的，对于两体散射，其形式理论已经比较成熟，但是对于多个粒子散射问题出现的严重的困难是多体Lippmann-Schwinger方程无唯一收敛的解。作为一种探索性的研究工作，开展了多体散射理论研究工作，发展了一些具有普遍意义的数学物理方法。在本项研究工作中，通过能基础数学中的约当引理的推广，发现一个特例：对非连接图，Lippmann-Schwingwer方程存在收敛的解，因此多体散射形式理论，有可能重新建立。由于核力和多体问题是当今核物理研究的两大难点，世界各国的科学家都在努力以图攻克它们，而且多体问题还是物理学的其它许多领域的难题，因而多体散射还是引起诸多研究学科广泛兴趣的课题。通过发展一些新的数学理论和方法，我们已得到一些有意义的结果。4.将量子分子动力学这种中高能量区域所用的理论分析方法扩展至较低能区，通过对相空间中初始位置和动量抽样增加限制条件。如结合能和实验值要求一致，平均核势，核内Pauli阻塞更强一些，在演化中能量和动量守恒等等。得到一个很稳定的初始基态。均方半径保持不弥散的时间可达1600fm/c，用于研究10.6MeV/u Ne~(20)+Al~(27)的实验分析过程中。另外，量子统计模型（QSM）主要描述中心核-核碰撞，将它和碎裂模型结合，作一些改进后，可以对核-核碰撞进行统一描述。5.在中能核反应研究中发现，核反应过程中有大量的中子，轻带电粒子以及中等质量碎片发射出来，可以将这些粒子发射机制大致分为两大类。其中一类可以归结为动力学发射过程的产物。另一类则可以归于统计发射的产物。在低能核反应中，其发射能谱的斜率的负倒数，可作为复合核的核温度。而在中能重离子核反应中，其发射能谱变得很复杂，不再具有Maxwell分布。通常的三源拟合所给出的温度参数，已不能反映物理实质。提出多阶矩分析方法用于分析中能核反应中统计发射规律及受动力学过程的影响。

中能重离子碰撞中的同位旋效应和热核巨共振中的有限力程研究

本论文包括两部分内容，第一部分是关于中能重离子碰撞中的同位旋效应研究。第二部分是热原子核巨共振中有限力程研究。随着放射性次级核束的产生和利用，使得中能重离子碰撞中的同位旋效应研究成为核物理学的重要前沿课题。通过从稳定线到滴线附近大跨度同位旋范围内的重离子反应，使得人们可以提取核物质状态方程和介质中核子－核子碰撞同位旋旋相关截面的知识。我们将量子分子动力学(QMD)改造成为同位旋相关的量子分子动力学(IQMD)，对中能重离子碰撞中同位旋效应进行了深入而系统地研究。在研究丰中子和缺中子系统的多重碎裂过程中，发现了多重碎裂过程的同位旋效应，例如缺中子系统的中等质量碎片多重性大于丰中子系统。这对于了解多重碎裂的机理有重要意义。在研究对同位旋相关的核物质状态方程(对称势)和介质中核子－核子碰撞截面灵敏的观测量过程中，发现前平衡发射中子－质子比在较宽能区内(E<150MeV／u)对同位旋相关的核物质状态方程灵敏，但对介质中同位旋相关的核子-核子碰撞截面不灵敏；而原子核阻止在中能区(费米能

中能重离子在生物组织中产生的核碎片

在利用重离子束治疗肿瘤和辐射生物学效应研究中，重离子束产生的核碎片会引起辐射场的改变。一方面主束的粒子数减少，另一方面产生了低Z的弹核碎片。这直接影响了主束的剂量-深度分布，这些低Z的碎片在主束Bragg峰外会产生附加的剂量，进一步影响生物学效应，而这种影响随离子射程的增加而增加。发展精确计算剂量的物理模型就必须有重离子束在等效生物组织中产生碎片的实验数据。有关碎片研究的实验，已广泛进行了许多年，近年来随着人类对加速器物理技术应用到放射治疗和人类对空间探索防护的需要，研究重离子束与生物相互作用以及弹核碎片的影响，已成为各国核应用科学家研究的热点问题，然而，有关中能重离子在等效生物组织中的实验数据并不多。基于此，本论文对这一问题，利用HIRFL产生的55MeV/u ~(40)Ar在 1.5mm有机玻璃(生物组织等效材料)中产生的碎片，对不同角度分布情况进行了研究，结果表明，重离子在生物组织等效材料中产生的核碎片，主要集中在向前的很小角度范围，碎片随角度的增加，原子序数接近主束的碎片产额急剧减少，而质子的角分布最广，在同一角度内的产额比其它碎片高：主束的展宽较小。将主束的剂量贡献与各角度的碎片剂量贡献总和比较，主束的剂量远大于各角度的碎片剂量贡献总和，这说明碎片的展宽效应就剂量方面考虑影响很小，但它对生物效应的影响还需要研究。本文还利用RIBLL80MeV/u ~(20)Ne离子产生的低强度62.8 MeV/u ~(12)C离，对不同厚度有机玻璃产生的核碎片进行了研究。结果表明，主束产额随厚度的增加呈现指数衰减；而碎片产额随厚度的增加而增加，且在某一厚度产额逐渐饱和。重离子在生物体内产生的核碎片不利于重离子治疗，为此本文在理论上全面考虑了碎片对剂量的贡献后，提出了剂量-深度曲线计算方法，其计算结果与实验数据符合相当好。但对其广泛应用还需更多的实验数据验证。通过对中能重离子在生物等效组织中碎片的研究，提出了在放射治疗中应尽量采用轻的离子束以减少碎片对治疗的影响；而在象育种那样的诱变工作中，考虑到提高诱变效率，应尽量采用重的离子束。论文还对剂量测量中复合效应的影响进行了研究，并提出了修正F的计算公式。对剂量监测系统性能的研究表明，在治疗中，当达到治疗剂量后，治疗系统切断束流的反应速度对治疗效果有不可忽视的影响，为此在应用重离子束治疗的控制中必须引起注意。还研究了实验中产生的中子角分布及其防护。产尘的中子剂量与重离子束剂量的比较表明，中子剂量的贡献在应用重离子束治疗中是可忽略的。总之，论文通过碎片效应的实验和理论研究积累了一些有价值的资料，它们对重离子辐射育种、重离子放射治疗和放射治疗中中子防护是有用的。

中能重离子碰撞中同位旋效应和晕核结构

本论文主要包括两部分内容，一部分是关于中能重离子碰撞中的同位旋效应和同位旋非对称核物质状态方程，第二部分是改进的Glauber理论和晕核核结构的研究．利用同位旋相关的量子分子动力学模型（IQ＼MD）系统而仔细的研究了同位旋相关的平均场和介质中核子核子碰撞截面对中能重离子碰撞中碎裂和耗散的同位旋效应．研究在国际上首次发现原子核阻止，中等质量碎片多重性和质子（中子）发射数都敏感的依赖于介质中核子一核子碰撞截面的同位旋效应，而对于同位旋相关的平均场（又寸称势）很不灵敏．故这些物理量可以作为提取相对高能范围缺中子系统同位旋相关介质中核子一核子碰撞故面的灵敏探针．另一方而，与前三种物理观测量相反，研究发现在相对较低能区前平衡核子发射中质比和同位旋分馏强度灵敏的依赖于对称势，而对于同位旋相关介质中核子一核子碰撞截面很不灵敏，可以用来提取同位旋相关平均场的知识．在此基础上分别研究了动量相关作用，核介质效应和库仑作用分别对提取上述知识动力学过程的机理和影响，研究发现这三种动力学因素对中能重离子碰撞过程中的同位旋效应有重要影响．例如研究发现核子一核子碰撞的介质效应明显增加了中等质量碎片多重性和核子发射数对于核子一核子碰撞截面的灵敏性．库仑作用降低了同位旋分馏和原子核阻止．但不影响它们分别对平均场和两体碰撞同位旋效应的灵敏性．动量相关作用明显增加了各种物理观测量对于平均场或两体碰撞截面同位旋效应的灵敏性．以上的研究结果对建立同位旋非对称核物质状态方程具有重要的参考价值和学术意义．在考虑量子修正、库仑修正、核子一核子碰撞同位旋效应和假定有效原子核密度分布后将仅适用于计算高能核子对原子核反应总截面的Glouber理论推广到能适用于中低能情况下核一核反应的Glaube理论．研究发现在应用推广的Glauber理论计算中、低能核一核反应截面时，量子修正是重要的．利用修正了的Glauber理论，系统计算了从低能到较高能大量稳定线附近30个核一核反应总截面，在没有可调参数的情况下，都与实验结果较好地符合．在计算晕核与稳定核反应总截面时，发现对于"Be，"Be和" Li等入射晕核，必须考虑它们的晕核结构才能得到与实验符合的反应截面，并可依据反应总截面来提取晕核的密度分布和均方半径等信息，以此来判定晕核的存在。

八单元一维位置灵敏雪崩室

In the experiment of nuclear reaction, it is important to measure the mass, charge, energy and emitted direction of particles. For multiparameter measurement, we must use a detector or a group of detectors which can give the time, energy, and position information. The Large Area position sensitive Ionization Chamber(LAIC) is one of the eight experiment terminals of HIRFL. It is built for researching nuclear reactions from low energy to intermediate energy. It is an excellent equipment for energy measurements and atomic number identification of emitted fragments in this energy region. It is also designed to give the time and position information of the emitted fragments by itself. Obviously, an IC can not supply a good timing signal. Moreover, the mechanical installation is different from the original design by some other reasons. In this case, it is not enough to obtain the correct direction information of the emitted fragments. To obtain good timing signals and the correct direction information, some modifications must be made. It is well known that a PPAC can give us excellent timing signals. It also can be easily built as a position sensitive detector. For this reason, a specially designed PPAC is installed in the entrance of the LAIC. For the different purposes, two types of PPACs were designed and tested. Both are OCTPSACs (OCTunit one dimension Position Sensitive Avalanche Counter). In this paper, both OCTPSACs will be introduced. Based on the requirements of the LAIC, the OCTPSACs consist of eight position sensitive PPACs. Each PPAC has an anode and a cathode. In both cases, the sizes are same. But different type of cathodes are used. In one type of OCTPSAC, its cathode is made of wire plane. It consists of gold-plated tungsten wires with the diameter of 20μm, spaced 0.5 mm apart from each other. The anode is a mylar foil which was evaporated by gold layer with the thickness of 50μg/cm~2 mounted on a printed plate in the shape of rectangle. the thickness of mylar foil is 1.5μm. The gap between anode and cathode is 3mm. The performance of the OCTPSAC has been tested by using a ~(252)Cf source in flowing isobutylene gas at the pressure of 3.4mb. The intrinsic time resolution of 289ps and position resolution of 2 mm have been obtained. In another type of OCTPSAC, the cathode is made of mylar foil, which is composed of gold strip by vacuume evaporation method with a special mask on the mylar foil. The thickness and the width of the gold strip is 50μg/cm~2 and 1.7mm. The strips are spaced 0.3 mm apart from each other. The anode is the same as the former type. We have obtained the time resolution of 296ps and position resolution of 2mm by using ~(241)Am-a source when the gas pressure is 6 mb and high voltage is 600V. The working gas is heptane

Positron-molecule interactions: Resonant attachment, annihilation, and bound states

This article presents an overview of current understanding of the interaction of low-energy positrons with molecules with emphasis on resonances, positron attachment, and annihilation. Measurements of annihilation rates resolved as a function of positron energy reveal the presence of vibrational Feshbach resonances (VFRs) for many polyatomic molecules. These resonances lead to strong enhancement of the annihilation rates. They also provide evidence that positrons bind to many molecular species. A quantitative theory of VFR-mediated attachment to small molecules is presented. It is tested successfully for selected molecule (e.g., methyl halides and methanol) where all modes couple to the positron continuum. Combination and overtone resonances are observed and their role is elucidated. Molecules that do not bind positrons and hence do not exhibit such resonances are discussed. In larger molecules, annihilation rates from VFR far exceed those explicable on the basis of single-mode resonances. These enhancements increase rapidly with the number of vibrational degrees of freedom, approximately as the fourth power of the number of atoms in the molecule. While the details are as yet unclear, intramolecular vibrational energy redistributio (IVR) to states that do not couple directly to the positron continuum appears to be responsible for these enhanced annihilation rates. In connection with IVR, experimental evidence indicates that inelastic positron escape channels are relatively rare. Downshifts of the VFR from the vibrational mode energies, obtained by measuring annihilate rates as a function of incident positron energy, have provided binding energies for 30 species. Their dependence upon molecular parameters and their relationship to positron-atom and positron-molecule binding-energy calculations are discussed. Feshbach resonances and positron binding to molecules are compared with the analogous electron-molecul (negative-ion) cases. The relationship of VFR-mediated annihilation to other phenomena such as Doppler broadening of the gamma-ray annihilation spectra, annihilation of thermalized positrons in gases, and annihilation-induced fragmentation of molecules is discussed. Possible areas for future theoretical and experimental investigation are also discussed.

Comparing the implementation of two-dimensional numerical quadrature on GPU, FPGA and ClearSpeed systems to study electron scattering by atoms

The use of accelerators, with compute architectures different and distinct from the CPU, has become a new research frontier in high-performance computing over the past ?ve years. This paper is a case study on how the instruction-level parallelism offered by three accelerator technologies, FPGA, GPU and ClearSpeed, can be exploited in atomic physics. The algorithm studied is the evaluation of two electron integrals, using direct numerical quadrature, a task that arises in the study of intermediate energy electron scattering by hydrogen atoms. The results of our ‘productivity’ study show that while each accelerator is viable, there are considerable differences in the implementation strategies that must be followed on each.

Enabling science through emerging HPC technologies: accelerating numerical quadrature using a GPU

The R-matrix method when applied to the study of intermediate energy electron scattering by the hydrogen atom gives rise to a large number of two electron integrals between numerical basis functions. Each integral is evaluated independently of the others, thereby rendering this a prime candidate for a parallel implementation. In this paper, we present a parallel implementation of this routine which uses a Graphical Processing Unit as a co-processor, giving a speedup of approximately 20 times when compared with a sequential version. We briefly consider properties of this calculation which make a GPU implementation appropriate with a view to identifying other calculations which might similarly benet.