Efficient modelling of plasma dynamics using Julia

Nonlinear modelling of plasma dynamics in massively parallel computers is an essential aspect of fusion energy research. Most high performance computing plasma simulations utilize programming languages, such as C or Fortran, that sacrifice user friendliness and flexibility for efficiency. The goal of this project is to demonstrate the viability of Julia as an option for developing efficient, GPU enabled high-performance computing plasma simulation codes. Julia enables flexible and user-friendly workflows for easier development and extension. Scripting tools are used to generate the numerical representation of the plasma fluid equations for a variety of plasma modelling problems. A nonlinear MHD model is implemented to carry out extensive performance and physics benchmarks to validate the new approach.