(ScienceDaily, January 25, 2010) — Ever wanted to see a nuclear reactor core in action? A new computer algorithm developed by researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory allows scientists to view nuclear fission in much finer detail than ever before. A team of nuclear engineers and computer scientists at Argonne National Laboratory are developing the neutron transport code UNIC, which enables researchers for the first time to obtain a highly detailed description of a nuclear reactor core. The code could prove crucial in the development of nuclear reactors that are safe, affordable and environmentally friendly. To model the complex geometry of a reactor core requires billions of spatial elements, hundreds of angles and thousands of energy groups — all of which lead to problem sizes with quadrillions of possible solutions. Such calculations exhaust computer memory of the largest machines, and therefore reactor modeling codes typically rely on various approximations. But approximations limit the predictive capability of computer simulations and leave considerable uncertainty in crucial reactor design and operational parameters.
“The UNIC code is intended to reduce the uncertainties and biases in reactor design calculations by progressively replacing existing multilevel averaging techniques with more direct solution methods based on explicit reactor geometries,” said Andrew Siegel, a computational scientist at Argonne and leader of Argonne’s reactor simulation group.
UNIC has run successfully at DOE leadership computing facilities, home to some of the world’s fastest supercomputers, including the energy-efficient IBM Blue Gene/P at Argonne and the Cray XT5 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Although still under development, the code has already produced new scientific results.
In particular, the Argonne team has carried out highly detailed simulations of the Zero Power Reactor experiments on up to 163,840 processor cores of the Blue Gene/P and 222,912 processor cores of the Cray XT5, as well as on 294,912 processor cores of a Blue Gene/P at the Jülich Supercomputing Center in Germany. With UNIC, the researchers have successfully represented the details of the full reactor geometry for the first time and have been able to compare the results directly with the experimental data. Click here to read more…
Google products may be known for their design simplicity but don’t let that fool you for lack of depth. Gmail is already one of the most powerful email clients out there and you can extend the functionality further by enabling add-ons from Gmail Labs. One such add-on which can prove quite handy at times is the Google Search widget, which, exp… (
By Alisa Machalek
After back in 2009 IndyCar’s founder Tony George left his role as the leader of the IndyCar Series, the governing body appointed Randy Bernard the head of the Professional Bull Riders, as the new CEO. Bernard will be in charge of both IndyCar and feeder Indy Lights starting March 1. 
Kris Meeke’s fans finally have a chance to drive a car similar to the 2009 Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) champion’s by purchasing the special edition 207 S16. However, don’t get too excited as the guys over at Peugeot only mastered the exterior styling of the car while the engine performance remained basically the same as on the Sport 1.6 VTi version.
Joint Hydrographic Center – The purpose of this notice is to solicit proposals for a cooperative agreement between NOAA and an institution of higher learning to operate a Joint Hydrographic Center as authorized in the Ocean and Coastal Mapping Integration Act and the Hydrographic Services Improvement Act. Proposals submitted in response to this announcement should advance the purposes of the Acts including development of hydrographic technologies necessary to ensure safe and efficient navigation; research and development of innovative ocean and coastal mapping technologies, equipment, and data products; mapping of the United States Outer Continental Shelf and other regions; data processing for nontraditional ocean mapping data and uses; advancing the use of remote sensing technologies, for related issues, including mapping and assessment of essential fish habitat and of coral resources, ocean observations, and ocean exploration; and providing graduate education and training in ocean and coastal mapping sciences. Eligibility: Universities and Colleges. This will be a 5-year, multiyear award. Total anticipated funding for this award is approximately $32,500,000 with approximately $6,500,000 to be released in FY 2010 and each subsequent year of the 5 years. Letters of Intent Due: February 3, 2010, Full Proposals Due: March 5, 2010.
Normally, it takes quite a bit of time before a startup gets any sort of mainstream spotlight. That’s not the case with 
Honda just released information on a new generation of GX and iGX engines series at the 2010 World of Concrete show in Las Vegas. The new series, which brings improvements in power, fuel efficiency, emissions performance and lower noise levels, is not however designed to be used in the automotive industry.
Felipe Massa was all smiles during the first 2 days of testing on the Valencia circuit this week, as the Brazilian driver mastered the elements on both Monday and Tuesday at the wheel of Ferrari’s 2010 challenger. Additionally, however, Massa had another reason to be happy, as it appears he was joined by his former teammate and good friend Michael Schumacher at yesterday’s lunch.
