Description

Deliver a self-contained BioDynaMo module and research prototype that enables validated, reproducible simulations of charged antiparticle ensembles in Penning-trap-like geometries at scales beyond existing demonstrations. The project generalizes prior BioDynaMo Penning-trap work into a reusable, documented, and scalable module suitable for antimatter-motivated studies and other charged-particle systems.

The student will extend BioDynaMo with a focused set of features (pluginized force models, neighbor search tuned for charged particles, elastic runtime hooks, and analysis/visualization pipelines), validate the models on canonical testcases (single-particle motion, small plasma modes), and demonstrate scaling and scientific workflows up to the largest feasible size within available resources. BioDynaMo already provides an agent/plugin API, parallel execution (OpenMP), and visualization hooks (ParaView/VTK). A prior intern report demonstrates a Penning-trap proof-of-concept and identifies directions for extension (custom forces, multi-scale runs, hierarchical models, CI, containerization)[1].

Engineering Goals

• Implement a BioDynaMo plugin module (“AntimatterKernel”) optimized for charged-particle workloads, including SoA-compatible data layouts, spatial decomposition, and an efficient neighbor search.
• Enable elastic and reproducible execution via containerized workflows and runtime configuration for local, HPC, or cloud environments.
• Provide performance instrumentation and a small, well-documented benchmark suite integrated with BioDynaMo’s tooling.

Physics/Scientific Goals

• Implement physics components as BioDynaMo plugins: Penning-trap external fields, Coulomb interactions (pairwise with documented extension points for approximations), stochastic annihilation handling, and basic species support.
• Validate against analytic and reference scenarios (single-particle trapping, basic plasma oscillation modes), with clearly stated assumptions and limits.
• Perform a limited parameter sweep (e.g. density, magnetic field, trap voltage) at increasing scale to explore collective behavior observable within accessible regimes.

Expected Results

• A BioDynaMo plugin/module implementing charged-particle dynamics suitable for antimatter-motivated simulations.
• A set of validated physics testcases reproducing canonical scenarios, with documented assumptions and limitations.
• A scalable and reproducible simulation workflow, including performance instrumentation and example benchmark configurations.
• Elastic execution artifacts (containers and run scripts) enabling consistent execution across local, HPC, and cloud systems.
• Analysis and visualization pipelines producing scientifically meaningful observables (e.g. density profiles, energy spectra, annihilation maps).
• A public open-source release with documentation and a short technical report or draft publication suitable for a workshop or conference.

Requirements

• Automatic differentiation
• Parallel programming
• Reasonable expertise in C++ programming

Links

• Repo

AI Policy

AI assistance is allowed for this contribution. The applicant takes full responsibility for all code and results, disclosing AI use for non-routine tasks (algorithm design, architecture, complex problem-solving). Routine tasks (grammar, formatting, style) do not require disclosure.

How to Apply

In addition to reaching out to the mentors by email, prospective candidates are required to complete this form

Mentors

• Vassil Vassilev - Princeton University
• Lukas Breitwieser - CERN

Additional Information

• Difficulty level (low / medium / high): medium
• Duration: 350 hours
• Mentor availability: June-October

Corresponding Project

• BioDynamo

Participating Organizations

• CompRes

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