Status and future of MUSE

Abstract

We present MUSE, a software framework for combining existing computational tools from different astrophysical domains into a single multi-physics, multi-scale application. MUSE facilitates the coupling of existing codes written in different languages by providing inter-language tools and by specifying an interface between each module and the framework that represents a balance between generality and computational efficiency. This approach allows scientists to use combinations of codes to solve highly-coupled problems without the need to write new codes for other domains or significantly alter their existing codes. MUSE currently incorporates the domains of stellar dynamics, stellar evolution and stellar hydrodynamics for studying generalized stellar systems. We have now reached a "Noah's Ark" milestone, with (at least) two available numerical solvers for each domain. MUSE can treat multi-scale and multi-physics systems in which the time-and size-scales are well separated, like simulating the evolution of planetary systems, small stellar associations, dense stellar clusters, galaxies and galactic nuclei. In this paper we describe two examples calculated using MUSE: the merger of two galaxies and an N -body simulation with live stellar evolution. In addition, we demonstrate an implementation of MUSE on a distributed computer which may also include special-purpose hardware, such as GRAPEs or GPUs, to accelerate computations. The current MUSE code base is publicly available as open source at http://muse.li.

Simulating Star Clusters With the Amuse Software Framework. I. Dependence of Cluster Lifetimes on Model Assumptions and Cluster Dissolution Modes

“…Part of the purpose of this paper is to validate parts of AMUSE 1 -the Astrophysical Multipurpose Simulation Environment-against known results and then to show new applications of the framework to stellar cluster dynamics. AMUSE is a new software framework designed for simulations of dense stellar systems, inspired by the earlier MUSE project described by Harfst et al (2008) and Portegies . A detailed technical account of AMUSE is beyond the scope of this article (see McMillan et al 2011;Portegies Zwart et al 2013).…”

Multi-scale and multi-domain computational astrophysics

“…We have designed AMUSE as a toolbox of different simulation codes with specialized support to couple these codes based on different scales and physics [18][19][20][21]. In this paper, we will discuss our experiences in the development of AMUSE, which is a framework for multi-scale and multidomain physics.…”