Total Cost of Ownership and Evaluation of Google Cloud Resources for the ATLAS Experiment at the LHC
Computing and Software for Big Science Springer 9:1 (2025) 2
Abstract:
The ATLAS Google Project was established as part of an ongoing evaluation of the use of commercial clouds by the ATLAS Collaboration, in anticipation of the potential future adoption of such resources by WLCG grid sites to fulfil or complement their computing pledges. Seamless integration of Google cloud resources into the worldwide ATLAS distributed computing infrastructure was achieved at large scale and for an extended period of time, and hence cloud resources are shown to be an effective mechanism to provide additional, flexible computing capacity to ATLAS. For the first time a total cost of ownership analysis has been performed, to identify the dominant cost drivers and explore effective mechanisms for cost control. Network usage significantly impacts the costs of certain ATLAS workflows, underscoring the importance of implementing such mechanisms. Resource bursting has been successfully demonstrated, whilst exposing the true cost of this type of activity. A follow-up to the project is underway to investigate methods for improving the integration of cloud resources in data-intensive distributed computing environments and reducing costs related to network connectivity, which represents the primary expense when extensively utilising cloud resources.The Observed Phase Space of Mass-loss History from Massive Stars Based on Radio Observations of a Large Supernova Sample
The Astrophysical Journal American Astronomical Society 979:2 (2025) 189
Abstract:
In this work, we study the circumstellar material (CSM) around massive stars, and the mass-loss rates depositing this CSM, using a large sample of radio observations of 325 core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe; only ~22% of them being detected). This sample comprises both archival data and our new observations of 99 CCSNe conducted with the AMI-LA radio array in a systematic approach devised to constrain the mass loss at different stages of stellar evolution. In the supernova (SN)–CSM interaction model, observing the peak of the radio emission of an SN provides the CSM density at a given radius (and therefore the mass-loss rate that deposited this CSM). On the other hand, limits on the radio emission, and/or on the peak of the radio emission provide a region in the CSM phase space that can be ruled out. Our analysis shows a discrepancy between the values of mass-loss rates derived from radio-detected and radio-nondetected SNe. Furthermore, we rule out mass-loss rates in the range of 2 × 10−6–10−4 M⊙ yr−1 for different epochs during the last 1000 yr before the explosion (assuming wind velocity of 10 km s−1) for the progenitors of ~80% of the Type II supernovae (SNe II) in our sample. In addition, we rule out the ranges of mass-loss rates suggested for red supergiants for ~50% of the progenitors of SNe II in our sample. We emphasize here that these results take a step forward in constraining mass loss in winds from a statistical point of view.Type I X-ray Bursts Reflected During the X-ray Eclipses of EXO 0748-676
(2025)
The observed phase space of mass-loss history from massive stars based on radio observations of a large supernova sample
(2025)
The Prevalence of Star-forming Clumps as a Function of Environmental Overdensity in Local Galaxies
The Astrophysical Journal American Astronomical Society 979:2 (2025) 118