HetSys News

Ben’s internship has focused on the development of the EPOCH++ code, an ambitious project designed to replace and future-proof the widely used EPOCH code, originally written in Fortran. EPOCH is a cornerstone tool in plasma physics simulations, and EPOCH++ is being designed to extend its capabilities and ensure long-term sustainability for the research community.

During his placement, Ben has contributed to several key aspects of the project:

• Testing and Validation: Building and running test cases, and comparing outputs between the current EPOCH code and the new EPOCH++ framework.
• Workflow Development: Designing a streamlined Python-based workflow to enhance the user experience. This script automates the process of generating run decks, executing simulations, and performing the necessary data analysis, all within a single integrated environment.
• Future Extensions: Exploring the incorporation of additional physics packages, including modules to simulate collisional behaviour and quantum electrodynamics (QED) effects, which will broaden the scope of scientific applications supported by EPOCH++.

This placement demonstrates the impact of HetSys students in advancing computational methods that underpin leading-edge scientific research. Ben’s contributions to EPOCH++ are helping to shape a tool that will support the plasma physics community well into the future.

We congratulate Ben on the significant progress he has made during his internship and look forward to following the outcomes of his work in the months ahead.