A Special-Purpose Computer forN-Body Simulations: GRAPE-2A
Abstract
We have developed GRAPE-2A, which is a back-end processor used to accelerate simulations of gravitational N-body systems, such as stellar clusters, a proto planetary system, and the structure formation of the universe. GRAPE-2A calculates the forces exerted on one particle from all other particles. The host computer, which is connected to GRAPE-2A through a VME bus, performs other calculations, such as time integration. In the simulation of gravitational N-body systems, almost all of the computing time is consumed in calculating the forces between particles. GRAPE-2A performs this force calculation with a speed that is much faster than that of a general-purpose computer. GRAPE-2A can be used for cosmological N-body simulations with periodic boundary conditions using the Ewald method, and for molecular-dynamics simulations of proteins and crystals. The computational speed of GRAPE-2A is 180 Mflops.
- Publication:
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Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan
- Pub Date:
- June 1993
- Bibcode:
- 1993PASJ...45..339I
- Keywords:
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- MANY-BODY SYSTEM;
- SIMULATION;
- SPECIAL-PURPOSE COMPUTER;
- STELLAR DYNAMICS