Silvio Schmalfuß | Searcharxiv

arXiv2026

SCALE-TRACK: Asynchronous Euler-Lagrange particle tracking on heterogeneous computing architecture

Euler-Lagrange (EL) simulations provide a direct and robust framework for modeling disperse multiphase flows. However, they are computationally expensive. While various approaches have attempted to leverage heterogeneous computing architectures, they have encountered scalability limitations. We present SCALE-TRACK, a scalable two-way coupled EL particle tracking algorithm, designed to exploit heterogeneous exascale computing environments. With asynchronous coupling, cache-friendly data structures, and chunk-based partitioning, we address key limitations of existing EL implementations. Validations against an analytical solution and a conventional EL implementation demonstrate the accuracy of the proposed algorithms. On a local workstation, we simulated 1.4 billion particles in a test case featuring a single graphics processing unit (GPU). Scaling runs on an HPC (high-performance computing) cluster show excellent strong and weak scaling, with up to 256 billion particles being tracked on up to 256 GPUs. This represents a significant advancement for EL simulations, enabling high-fidelity simulations on local workstations and pushing the limits on HPC systems. The software is released as open source and is publicly available.

cs.CE↗

arXiv2025

A Model Intercomparison Study of Mixed-Phase Clouds in a Laboratory Chamber

Mixed-phase clouds, composed of supercooled liquid droplets and ice crystals, play a critical role in weather and climate systems. Their complex microphysical interactions and coupling with turbulence at microscales govern the cloud properties at macroscales, yet remain challenging to observe and quantify under atmospheric conditions. This model intercomparison study utilizes ten model configurations to simulate mixed-phase cloud evolution in the Michigan Technological University's Pi Chamber. The models span a range of frameworks, including box models, direct numerical simulation, and large-eddy simulation models, and incorporate both bin and Lagrangian microphysics. Each model was tuned to reproduce the observed liquid-phase steady state prior to ice injection. Ice particles were then introduced into the domain at various rates to examine cloud glaciation behavior. By the intercomparison design, all models successfully reproduced the observed mean droplet radius and number concentration during the liquid-phase stage. Increasing ice particle injection rates led to consistent qualitative trends across models: depletion of liquid water, reduced total water content, and a shift in particle size distributions toward larger radii. However, quantitative differences arose due to variations in model treatment in dynamics and microphysics, including subgrid-scale turbulence parameterizations, wall forcing, and particle removal parameterizations. Most models that simulate the full chamber retained liquid droplets near the lower boundary, where supersaturation forcing is strongest and droplets are replenished before mixing into the core region. These surviving liquids droplets were absent in simulations assuming a well-mixed domain, excluding the near-wall region, or using coarse grid spacing.

physics.ao-ph↗