Invited communication to the BIDS'17 conference
12 December 2017
During an invited communication to the « Big Data from Space 2017 » conference, CERFACS presented the stakes and the perspectives of its strategic axis "Data Driven Modeling" from the point of view of the valorization of satellite data. For more details, see the article: Abstract: CERFACS has a long-established record of excellence in environmental and industrial Computational Fluid Dynamics for complex flow simulation on high-resolution grid enhanced by continuous developments in numerical models and in High Performance Computing. Data Assimilation of satellite data for ocean, atmospheric chemistry or hydraulics modeling is also one of its strong expertise domains. Uncertainty Quantification has become a developing field based on ensemble approaches and model-reduction objectives. Based on these expertise domains, a new challenge for CERFACS is to develop a Data Driven Modeling axis combining Data Science, Uncertainty Quantification and Data Assimilation. Reference: O. Thual et al, The stakes and prospects of “Data Driven Modelling” at CERFACS, 2017 Conference on Big Data from Space (BIDS’17), November 30th 2017, Toulouse,
One Cerfacs’ proposal accepted in PRACE 15th call
4 December 2017
This study focuses on Hall-effect thrusters, which were first invented in the 1960s. Although such systems have been extensively studied, the detailed physics of the magnetized plasmas in these thrusters is very complex and several plasma processes that have direct influence on the thruster performance and lifetime are still poorly understood. Therefore, the current design and development of Hall-effect Thrusters is still semi-empirical with long and expensive life qualification tests required. In the context of the ANR industrial chair POSEIDON (collaboration between LPP, CERFACS and SNECMA), a new numerical methodology is being developed to reduce the number of experimental tests in the develop cycle of future electric thrusters. The main goals of this PRACE project "UNPIC3D" are to better understand plasmas in realistic electric thruster designs, to develop a 3D numerical code for treating such problems, and to use this tool to improve the efficiency of existing products and in this way to provide the foundation for future thruster designs. 18 Mh have been attributed to UNPIC3D project on Curie in the frame of 15th PRACE call.
CECI Contribution to CNRS’ “Petit Illustré” on Complex Systems (CNRS Edition)
12 October 2017
CECI (Cerfacs, CNRS) and IMFT are both working on numerical modelling of the processes causing river flooding and their uncertainties. A common contribution on this subject, signed by Sophie Ricci and Hélène Roux, appears in Vol. 34 of the "Petit Illustré" collection, edited by CNRS.
CERFACS was present at the European Researcher Night 2017 at Toulouse
1 October 2017
"Can we get an engine, an airplane or the entire Earth into a computer?". Such was the catchy title of the CERFACS stand Friday September 29th, for the "European Research Night" whose theme was "Impossible". A hundred people at the "Quai des Savoirs" in Toulouse took a close interest in the scientific computing activities of the researchers at Cerfacs and many of them participated in the interactive animation prepared for this occasion. While a looped film showed visualizations of various numerical simulations (engines, floods, planes, climate, turbines ...), the researchers animating the stand brought the public into the world of supercomputers by asking questions of increasing difficulty. For more details, see the corresponding article in the "Media & Communication" section.
The first ERC (European Research Council) Starting Grant for a CERFACS PhD student
12 September 2017
The results of the 2017 ERC starting grant have been published (erc.europa.eu/sites/default/files/document/file/erc_2017_stg_results_pe.pdf). Dr Benedetta Franzelli has obtained one of these very prestigious awards. Dr Franzelli received a PhD from CERFACS in the field of combustion in 2011. She is working now as CNRS researcher, for the EM2C laboratory (Centralesupelec), where her ERC grant will allow her to study soot formation in flames. This is the first time that a CERFACS PhD student receives such a prestigious award.
Mega-heatwaves in France during the second half of the 21st century and the 50°C threshold
24 August 2017
Margot Bador (post-doctoral research fellow at the Climate Change Research Center, Sydney, and CERFACS PhD), Laurent Terray (CERFACS researcher) and Julien Boé (CNRS researcher at CERFACS) with collaborators from Météo-France have published a study of France summer mega-heatwaves and associated temperature extremes that could occur at the end of the 21st century under the business as usual greenhouse gas emission scenario. The study is based on regional climate simulations at very high spatial resolution (12km) performed with the ALADIN model developed at Météo-France. The authors have studied a simulated heatwave that occur in the 2070s when the mean France climate has already warmed by several degrees. They find that the simulated 2070 heatwave is as severe (in terms of amplitude and spatial extent) as the observed 2003 heatwave when compared to their respective mean climate. They further show that late spring dry land conditions may lead to a significant amplification of summer temperature extremes and heatwave intensity through limitations in evapotranspiration. By 2100, the simulations suggest that the increase in summer temperature maximum records could reach 6 °C to 13 °C in the five considered France climatic regions, and therefore, exceed the 50°C threshold. Link of the article on the site of the newspaper Environnemental Research Letters
Distinction for the book “The Human Face of Computing”
25 July 2017
The book "The Human Face of Computing" was selected as one of the notable books in the "21st Annual Best of Computing - Notable Books and Articles" compiled by Computing Reviews. Mrs Francoise Chatelin contributed to this book with the chapter "Qualitative Computing"
Extreme CFD workshop of the SUCCESS scientific group in Toulouse, 17-21 July 2017.
24 July 2017
The first edition of the Extreme CFD workshop was held in Toulouse at ENSEEIHT from the 17th to the 21st of July, 2017 under the hospices of the SUCCESS scientific group (). It gathered 25 participants from CERFACS, CORIA, EM2C, IMAG, IMFT, LEGI and SAFRAN TECH grouped in 9 projects. Each project consisted of users and developers of the AVBP and YALES2 CFD tools and their aims were to develop novel models and algorithms, which will exploit large HPC resources, and to tackle new multi-scale problems. During the workshop, D. Saucereau and F. Pecquery presented ArianeGroup CFD challenges and G. Hautreux from GENCI gave a tutorial on hybrid MPI/OpenMP programming for future HPC systems. This fruitful week was concluded by a wrap-up session to give perspectives and feed the AVBP and YALES2 roadmaps. V. Moureau, L. Selle and O. Vermorel, the coordinators, and the participants agreed to organize a second edition next year. The coordinators acknowledge the financial support of the LABEX EMC3 and LEGI, and ENSEEIHT for the accommodations.
Le “Train du Climat” awarded by the European Meteorological Society
12 July 2017
“Le train du climat” has been selected to receive the Communication and Outreach award of the European Meteorological Society (EMS) for its very innovative and original concept to develop an exhibition on a train. Along its trip across France in the months preceding the Paris COP21, it acted as a catalyst for discussion and debate about climate change issues, between general public and scientists and cultural mediators present on board. The prize will be awarded to all the Climate Messengers, represented by Christophe Cassou, on September 5th during the annual EMS meeting in Dublin.
New challenges in climate data analytics
8 June 2017
Christian Pagé, CERFACS, has been invited to present at the Forum Teratec 2017 in the HPC workshop, which will be held at École Polytechnique on June 27th and 28th. The TERATEC Forum is a major event in France and Europe that brings together the best international experts in HPC, Simulation and Big Data.
PhD positions available in two Marie Curie programs to begin at CERFACS in 2017 on combustion instabilities
18 May 2017
CERFACS has won two Marie Curie (ec.europa.eu/research/mariecurieactions) projects on instabilities in combustion systems: the first one MAGISTER will focus on machine learning methods for combustion instabilities and is coordinated by Un. Twente (Netherlands) while the second one (ANNULIGHT) will target annular chambers found in real gas turbines and is coordinated by NTNY (Norway). These two high visibility programs will allow to hire three PhD students who will integrate a very complete formation project based on PhD tutoring at CERFACS, strong relations with industry (SIEMENS, KLM, SAFRAN HELICOPTER ENGINES, SAFRAN AIRCRAFT ENGINES, GENERAL ELECTRIC, ANSALDO, ROLLS ROYCE) and multiple secondments at partners laboratories (CAMBRIDGE, TWENTE, CENTRALESUPELEC, KARLSRUHE INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, TU BERLIN, TU MUNCHEN, ETH ZURICH, NTNY, MINES DE PARIS, SAFRAN TECH). Applications can be sent to poinsot@cerfacs.fr, cuenot@cerfacs.fr, lgicquel@cerfacs.fr.
My PhD in 180 seconds
16 May 2017
Antoine Colmet-Daage, currently PhD student in the "Climate Modelling and Global Change team", participated to the regional final phase of the french competition "Ma thèse en 180 secondes", held in Montpellier on April 20th. You can find his performance on video (and in french), thanks to the Doctoral college of the Languedoc-Roussillon University. If it does not run, you can download the video: Globc-videos-180sec-A-Colmet
