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El Capitan transforms complex physics into jaw-dropping detail

El Capitan transforms complex physics into jaw-dropping detail
Source: interestingengineering
Author: @IntEngineering
Published: 8/26/2025

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The El Capitan supercomputer, currently the world’s fastest, has revolutionized the simulation of extreme physics events by producing unprecedentedly detailed and high-resolution models. Developed for scientists at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), El Capitan can simulate phenomena such as shock waves and fluid mixing with remarkable clarity, capturing sub-micron details that traditional computers often miss. For example, researchers used it to model the impact of shock waves on a tin surface, revealing how the metal melts and ejects tiny droplets, including the influence of microscopic surface scratches. This level of fidelity, enabled by advanced physics models and a fine computational mesh, is crucial for advancing applications in physics, national defense, and fusion energy research. A key focus of the research was the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability, a complex fluid dynamic phenomenon occurring when fluids of different densities interact turbulently under extreme conditions. Using LLNL’s MARBL multiphysics code, El Capitan simulated how shockwaves interacting with minute surface rip

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energysupercomputingphysics-simulationfusion-energyshock-waveshigh-performance-computingmaterials-science