Cutting carbon from high-energy collision simulations: Novel approach from Lund University to reduce environmental impact

Computer simulations of high-energy particle collisions are important to test theoretical models in physics. In the pursuit of more sustainable simulations, Christian Bierlich a researcher at 瑞典兰德大学 Department of Physics,?has proposed a novel approach to cut energy use and bolster computational efficiency. It centers on a mathematical algorithm capable of slashing computation time for specific collision events by up to a thousandfold. The research was funded by Lund University's Sustainability Fund, which supports innovative ideas that strengthen economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

Both environmental and economic sustainability were at the core of the project. "We found a mathematical trick that allows the simulations to run 1000 times faster. This means we don't need a large data center; we can run them on a laptop, using much less power. This is particularly beneficial for physicists in developing countries who can then participate in cutting-edge research without needing extensive resources," said Christian Bierlich.

However, he explains that securing funding for such innovative projects is normally very challenging. "Perhaps a little counterintuitively, it's not easy to get scientific funding if you don't know what the result will be, or can guarantee that it will lead to a publication. It's also difficult to find funding that will cover work on making technical improvements such as increasing efficiency even when everyone agrees it is important. So, when I discovered the Validation Support from Lund University's Sustainability Fund, I had been thinking about this for a while, and I thought, why not?" said Christian Bierlich.

“I discussed the idea with Lund University's innovation office, LU innovation, before applying and I learned a lot about the UN sustainability goals and how they are connected to the project. It opened up my perspective to see that this not only saves energy but also socially sustainable.”

Building on the widely-used PYTHIA software, the project has been released as a free, open-source software and has been presented at two conferences, where it received a very positive response. Users include large universities with large physics facilities, but also particle colliders such as CERN and the Brookhaven National Laboratory . By integrating this innovation into mainstream simulation practices, the project anticipates reducing CO2 emissions from computations and waste generated from electronics, fostering sustainability in line with the Global Agenda 2030 goals.

Since its release, Christian also has concrete data to highlight the project's impact: "We have already run a concrete use-case where we have saved around a factor of 100 in energy."

So, what's the next step? "We aim to expand this, write an scientific article about it, and get it published. The question of making scientific software more sustainable is very interesting and worth pursuing further.”

Are you a researcher interested in making a similar journey? LU Innovation supports researchers, students and employees at Lund University. Christian Bierlich received funding by applying for 'Validation support for the utilisation of sustainable ideas from research (Validation Support)' a grant available to Lund University researchers. The full list of funding opportunities from Lund University's Sustainability Fund is available on LU Innovation's website.