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SLAC–PNNL Scientific Computing Seminars—Building Collaboration

SLAC and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have broadly complementary science programs and a common interest in finding the optimum role of computing in advancing these programs. Last fall, after several years of informal contacts between PNNL computational sciences and SLAC Scientific Computing and Computing Services, the two lab managements agreed to support a seminar series aimed at identifying where the SLAC and PNNL science programs would benefit from collaboration on computing.

This year three seminars will take place at SLAC. PNNL scientists and computer scientists will present major elements of their science program and the corresponding computing challenges over the course of an afternoon. Further discussions aimed at identifying opportunities for collaboration will take place on the following day.

The first seminar to be held at SLAC will take place March 2 and 3. PNNL scientists will describe their science programs and computing activities in computational chemistry and biology/bioinformatics. These seminars will be open to all at SLAC. On subsequent visits PNNL representatives will talk about their work in climate/atmospheric radiation measurements and in national security. Announcements will appear in SLAC Today.

SLAC staff have already made their first visit to PNNL, presenting the Linac Coherent Light Source science program and computing challenges. Seminars focusing on computing in high-energy physics, and on the data analysis challenges of the Large Synoptic Survey Telescope are planned for later in the year.

—Richard Mount
  SLAC Today, February 25, 2009