Congratulations to the Winners of the NERSC Science as Art Competition

With 70-plus eye-popping entries, we couldn't pick just one. » Read More

David Baker Wins Nobel Prize for Chemistry

A computational biologist and prolific user of NERSC systems, David Baker has been awarded a Nobel Prize for Chemistry for his work in computational protein design. » Read More

Quantum Computing Partnership Extended

After a successful first year punctuated by strong scientific results, NERSC’s partnership with QuEra Computing has been extended. » Read More

Magnifying Deep Space Through the 'Carousel Lens'

Using the Perlmutter supercomputer, DESI Legacy Imaging Surveys, and NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope, researchers identified a rare and revealing gravitational lens. » Read More

Tropical Cyclones Intensify Due to Warming Atmosphere

Tropical cyclones have grown more intense near global coastal regions. A new study found that hotter air interacting with humidity and wind shear is likely the culprit. » Read More

National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center

NERSC is the mission scientific computing facility for the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, the nation’s single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences.

Computing at NERSC

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Now Computing

Some of the science now being computed at NERSC

Node hours not changing? Check the center status page for information.

Project	System	Nodes
Lattice QCD search for physics beyond the standard model High Energy Physics PI: Rajan Gupta, Los Alamos National Laboratory	perlmutter	384
Large scale simulations of materials for quantum information science ASCR Leadership Computing Challenge PI: Giulia Galli, University of Chicago	perlmutter	256
Frontiers of first-principles electron interactions and dynamics: quantum materials and data-driven methods Basic Energy Sciences PI: Marco Bernardi, California Institute of Technology	perlmutter	256
Atomic-scale design and characterization of sorbents for carbon capture ASCR Leadership Computing Challenge PI: Jonathan Owens, GE Global Research	perlmutter	128
Structure refinement of Spike-protein of SARS-COV-2 Advanced Scientific Computing Research PI: Wai-Yim Ching, University of Missouri - Kansas City	perlmutter	64
Center for Integrated Simulation of Fusion Relevant RF Actuators: SciDAC Project Fusion Energy Sciences PI: Paul Bonoli, Massachusetts Institute of Technology	perlmutter	64

Did You Know?

Lucky Tokens

Man and woman show lucky cat figurine while standing in front of open computer system cabinet.

Yukiko Sekine, Jonathan Carter, and the Hopper system's “lucky cat,” in 2011. (Credit: Roy Kaltschmidt, Berkeley Lab)

NERSC’s Hopper supercomputer contained 153,216 compute cores, 217 terabytes of memory, 2 petabytes of disk storage—and a cat figurine for luck!

Hopper, named in honor of computer scientist Grace Murray Hopper, had a Japanese "lucky cat" figurine stashed in one cabinet. In April 2011, Yukiko Sekine (NERSC's former Energy Department program manager) presented the cat to Jonathan Carter (currently associate lab director for the Computing Sciences Area).

It’s not the first lucky token to stand guard over NERSC’s large, complex, and well-used scientific supercomputers. Other systems – for reasons known only to NERSC staff – have been protected from ill fate by rubber chickens. (»Visit our interactive timeline to learn more about NERSC history.)