Computationally intensive problems of physics and astronomy: oscillator strengths and departure coefficients of the hydrogen atom in the interstellar medium

aut.embargoNoen_NZ
aut.thirdpc.containsNoen_NZ
aut.thirdpc.permissionNoen_NZ
aut.thirdpc.removedNoen_NZ
dc.contributor.advisorGulyaev, Sergei
dc.contributor.advisorEnsor, Andrew
dc.contributor.authorFeron, Boris Benjamin
dc.date.accessioned2013-08-14T22:34:14Z
dc.date.available2013-08-14T22:34:14Z
dc.date.copyright2013
dc.date.created2013
dc.date.issued2013
dc.date.updated2013-08-14T21:51:05Z
dc.description.abstractCalculating departure coefficients, bn, as well as bnl, for non-LTE gases/plasmas, is a fundamental computational problem in radio astronomy, physics of the interstellar medium, and for diagnostics of plasmas of nuclear reactors. Most work in this area was done in the 1960s and 1970s. Recent advances in computing technology have rendered the technology used in these two decades obsolete. Hence we ask if the approximate techniques developed to compensate for the technological limitations of the 1960s and 1970s are still needed. In this thesis we introduce modern computational techniques to solve, exactly, the computational problems relating to departure coefficients. Specifically, we have made use of arbitrary precision arithmetic as well as introducing GPU & parallelization techniques to already established solutions. We investigated the problem of the hypergeometric function which arises as the solution of the wave equation for hydrogen, which is the key component in Einstein coefficients, radiative recombination rates and the Stark broadening theory. Furthermore, we implemented, optimized and compared two different techniques for calculating bn coefficients and developed a matrix approach for dealing with the bnl problem. We hope that the solutions resulting from this thesis will pave the way for further development in the outlined area, allowing for exact solutions up to n = 1000 and greater.en_NZ
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10292/5605
dc.language.isoenen_NZ
dc.publisherAuckland University of Technology
dc.rights.accessrightsOpenAccess
dc.subjectHigh Performance Computingen_NZ
dc.subjectGPUen_NZ
dc.subjectRadio Astronomyen_NZ
dc.subjectComputer Scienceen_NZ
dc.subjectDeparture Coefficientsen_NZ
dc.subjectHypergeometric Functionen_NZ
dc.titleComputationally intensive problems of physics and astronomy: oscillator strengths and departure coefficients of the hydrogen atom in the interstellar mediumen_NZ
dc.typeThesis
thesis.degree.discipline
thesis.degree.grantorAuckland University of Technology
thesis.degree.levelMasters Theses
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Scienceen_NZ
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
FeronB.pdf
Size:
983.35 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Whole thesis
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name:
license.txt
Size:
897 B
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Collections