Last Updated on May 26, 2026 by Staff
Scientists at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) have come up with a new way to run computer simulations. This new method can dramatically speed up simulations used to study matter under conditions. The breakthrough could help researchers better understand fusion energy, planetary interiors and the physics of stars.
The new method was published in the journal npj Computational Materials. It is expected to improve experiments carried out at research facilities like the European XFEL in Germany. According to the research team the approach can make simulations up to 50 times faster while also improving accuracy.
Studying matter under temperatures and pressures is one of the biggest challenges in modern physics.
Extreme Matter
Matter behaves differently under extreme conditions. For example inside stars and giant planets temperatures reach millions of degrees. Pressures become unimaginably high. Scientists can recreate conditions in laboratories using powerful laser systems.
Laser fusion research is one example. In these experiments strong laser pulses compress hydrogen fuel until atomic nuclei fuse together. This releases amounts of energy. Researchers hope this process could eventually provide nearly unlimited energy through fusion power plants. They want to use fusion to create energy.
To study these states scientists use X-ray scattering experiments. At facilities like the European XFEL near Hamburg, intense X-ray beams are fired through materials. The scattered X-rays reveal information about the structure, temperature and density of the sample.
However interpreting this data is extremely difficult. The measurements alone often do not provide information.
Simulations Matter
To solve this problem researchers rely on computer simulations. These simulations recreate the behavior of matter under extreme conditions. They compare the results with data.
Scientists test combinations of temperature and pressure. They do this until the simulated results match the experiment. This process is known as a parameter scan.
Modern simulation methods are highly accurate. However they require computing power. At temperatures researchers must calculate many quantum mechanical states at the same time.
Numerical noise is another problem. Simulations often produce distortions. These distortions can hide physical details. As a result scientists spend amounts of time refining calculations on expensive supercomputers.
According to physicist Dr. Tobias Dornheim researchers simply do not have access to supercomputing resources. Faster methods are essential for scientific progress.
A Smarter Method
The new HZDR technique tackles the problem in a different way. Of endlessly refining simulations the researchers developed a method to identify which parts of the signal contain real physical information. They also identify which parts are simply artifacts.
The method is based on a quantum concept called imaginary time. This mathematical approach is closely linked to the temperature of the material being studied.
Using this framework the researchers combined a convergence test with a filtering process. The filter removes ringing and distortions. It preserves the physical structure of the signal.
Dr. Zhandos Moldabekov, who developed the idea, explained that traditional smoothing methods often remove details along with noise. The new technique avoids this issue. It keeps the information intact.
This allows scientists to obtain more reliable simulation results. They do not sacrifice accuracy.
Fifty Times Faster
One of the impressive results of the study is the dramatic increase in speed. During testing simulations ran up to 50 times faster than before.
This improvement means researchers can perform more parameter studies. They can use the computing resources. Of running only a few expensive simulations scientists can now explore a much wider range of conditions.
The method also improves the quality of analysis. Fine structures in the data that reveal physical processes are preserved more clearly. This allows scientists to better understand how matter behaves under conditions.
The researchers believe the new approach could become a tool for interpreting X-ray scattering experiments worldwide.
Future Applications
The breakthrough could have applications in fusion energy research. Understanding the behavior of matter during fusion reactions is essential for designing practical fusion power plants.
The method may also help scientists study conditions inside planets and stars. They can do this through laboratory astrophysics experiments. Researchers can recreate these environments in laboratories. They can analyze them accurately using the new simulation approach.
In addition the technique could improve calculations involving conductivity, radiation absorption and other important material properties.
Scientists at HZDR believe this innovation represents a step toward exploring some of the most extreme states of matter in the universe. By making simulations faster and more precise the new method could accelerate discoveries, in both energy research and astrophysics for years to come.