Mining the Milky Way

A new role for IBM in Astrophysics

Melvin HoareSchool of Physics and

AstronomyUniversity of Leeds

Michael LoweTechnical Sales Manager

STG

Gary FullerSchool of Physics and

AstronomyUniversity of Manchester

Context

• EU 7th Framework Programme

• € 4.7 billion budget to train young researchers

• Broaden their scientific and generic skills

• Joint research partnerships between academia and industry

VISUGAL FP7 Proposal

• Astronomers • New surveys of

the Milky Way

• Computer scientists

• Data mining and visual analytics

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• How stars and planets are formed

• New 3D picture of our Galaxy

Star and Planet Formation

• Disks around young stars form planetary systems

• But near massive stars they can get ‘burned’

Our Galaxy

• Let us find out what our Galaxy really looks like

VISUGAL Members

(Michael Lowe)

VISUGAL Methodology

• Train 15 highly educated and motivated young researchers recruited worldwide

• Host workshops for the astronomical community

• Training includes technical and soft skills

• Industrial participation ensures trainees have right skills for future

Proposed IBM Participation

• Confirm cell mainframe as appropriate project infrastructure

• Host a researcher at IBM laboratory in Europe

• Provide training in technical and soft skills

Cell Mainframe

• Potentially one of the first installations in UK

• Hosted at University of Manchester for all network partners

• Ideally suited to large data mining and visualisation projects

Cell I/O and Network

z

CellAppliance

DB2 & Filez/OS

zLinux

z

PCIeIB

Federated System HypervisorsFederated System Hypervisors

Hosting Researcher

• IBM recruits a researcher• 2 year project to develop software of

major benefit to astronomical community• Directed by Bruce Elmegreen (IBM

Research, NY), expert in star formation• Costs covered by EU

• Salary € 53 000 p.a. gross• € 14 400 researcher expenses• € 14 400 host expenses• € 8 200 overheads

Technical Skills Training

• Cell programming

• DB2 for Linux

• Commercial data mining

• Commercial visualisation

• Commercial exploitation– Delivered by IBM guest lecturers in person

and via webcast

Soft Skills Training

• Leadership

• Management

• Communication– Again delivered by

IBM guest lecturers in person and via webcast

Proposal Timeline

• Agreement to supply technology• Agreement to host postdoctoral researcher• Agreement on the skills training• Letter from IBM stating commitment to

above• Submission deadline 2 September 2008• Project start: October 2009• Project end: September 2013

Benefit to the Proposal

• IBM participation will bring:– The necessary industrial linkage– Innovation and leading edge technology– Expert delivery of complementary skills– Further involvement of world-class brand in

the EU FP7 programme

Benefits to IBM

• IBM trains the next generation

• IBM places its technology at the heart of a major European project

• IBM helps to set mankind’s origins in context

Thank you for your time

“We are stardustBillion year old carbonWe are golden”