Projects: Projects, Project Ideas

Over the duration of this course we will have two projects, to be chosen by participants. Project topic suggestions are listed above, but you are not limited to those choices.

We will assign 3-person groups for each project (different for each project). Once the group is formed, please follow these 5 steps to get started.

Each person will pick one of three roles, a Code person, a Parameter person and an Analysis person.

Helpful experience that might help make the choice are listed below. Helpful experience that might help make the choice are listed below. These are not required, but if you happen to have the experience in your group you might consider using it.

• Code Person:
  • Access to additional machines at home institution to speed up calculations (large number of machines or a fast machine)
  • Good knowledge of how to run code efficiently (debugging, compiling, profiling, make)
  • Some knowledge of fortran, though not much programming is needed
    • maybe some small tweaks of the code to modify output, input formats.

• Parameter Person:
  • Manage various inputs (and their formats) relevant for your calculations.
  • Some knowledge about the physics of the astrophysical environment (ability to judge realistic and unrealistic parameters, relationships between parameters)
  • Scripting languages that allow to efficiently alter input files

• Analysis Person:
  • Familiarity and access to software that allows efficient creation of graphs, maybe even abundance movies
  • Knowledge of scripting languages that allow efficient extraction of information out of text files

After group roles are chosen, each group will set up its own WIKI and document server.

1. On the WIKI, under groups, create a page with the name of your group. Include the type of project in the name, so one sees right away what astrophysical scenario your group is working on. Example: “Nova_stars”, “r-process_group2”, …. This is where you will log your activities and where you will create an impressive project page with inputs, results, etc.

1. Go to the Document server and create a folder with the name of your group. This is where you can put all your documents that you might want to share with others (new useful codes, interesting output, presentations, etc etc). Papers can also be posted here without worrying about copyright (remember that the Wiki is public to read)

1. Create a GITHUB for your project needs…..
   1. setting up github, making simple tests, compiler options etc
      1. github
      2. documenting source code doxygen
      3. creating unit tests for codes unit tests
      4. and more at http://folk.uio.no/mhjensen/phy981/courses.html

• Read project description together
• Discuss roughly what you want to do as first steps and make sure you are all on the same page.

• Each member works to get up to speed with their specific tasks (initial to do list on you role description)
• Agree on when to meet to discuss the next steps (you can post meeting information on the wiki).

• Each member should make a brief presentation to the others on what they have learned, how to run the codes, what they can do etc etc.
• Discuss then a project you want to pursue that is related to your scenario. The project description makes some suggestions for projects but you can also develop your own.
• Go in steps – choose a small first subproject and once completed start the next.