Agile Software Design for Hot Hohlraum Simulations

Designing experiments and running the necessary simulations can be a difficult process, even without considering the often advanced physics questions involved. Things like interfacing with high performance computers, receiving expedient feedback from peers, and being responsive to new questions often consume a majority of the time. To mitigate these issues for an upcoming test series at Omega, we manage the experiment setups in the Common Modeling Framework (CMF) a tool used across Los Alamos National Laboratory to help manage the collaborative and technical issues for running the radiation transport and hydrodynamics code xRage. By designing our Hot Hohlraum experiments in the CMF, we are able to archive many different hohlraum and laser design configurations, and swap components easily. CMF physics packages help identify design errors at earlier stages and ensure that simulation inputs are consistent across users and projects. The CMF also provides a method of archiving post-processing tools, making it easier to get significant results quickly by leaning on the past work from others. This talk will provide an overview of how the CMF functions and several of its key elements that have helped streamline the design process of our upcoming Hot Hohlraum experiments.