The OPAL Framework
Object Oriented Parallel Accelerator Library
OPAL 2.0.0 User’s Reference Manual
Abstract
OPAL is a tool for charged-particle optics in accelerator structures and beam lines. Using the MAD language with extensions, OPAL is derived from MAD9P and is based on the CLASSIC class library, which was started in 1995 by an international collaboration. IPPL (Independent Parallel Particle Layer) is the framework which provides parallel particles and fields using data parallel ansatz. IPPL was inspired by the POOMA. OPAL is built from the ground up as a parallel application exemplifying the fact that HPC (High Performance Computing) is the third leg of science, complementing theory and the experiment. HPC is made possible now through the increasingly sophisticated mathematical models and evolving computer power available on the desktop and in super computer centres. OPAL runs on your laptop as well as on the largest HPC clusters available today.
The OPAL framework makes it easy to add new features in the form of new C++ classes. It comes in the following flavours:
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OPAL-cycl: tracks particles with 3D space charge including neighbouring turns in cyclotrons and FFAs with time as the independent variable.
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OPAL-t: can be used to model beam lines, linacs, rf-photo injectors and complete XFELs excluding the undulator.
It should be noted that not all features of OPAL are available in all
flavours. The icon DOPAL-t means that a feature is not yet available
in OPAL-t. Similar icons are used for the other flavours.