Coupled fusion simulation using the common component architecture

The physics of magnetically-confined fusion plasmas involves many different processes with multiple time and length scales that cover many orders of magnitude. As the capability of large parallel computers continues to grow, the goal of an integrated self-consistent simulation of all of the relevant physics draws closer. However, advances in computer science, physics formulations, and algorithms are also needed to achieve this goal. In this paper, we present an overview of an on-going project which is exploring these issues in the context of integrated simulation of radio frequency (RF) heating and transport physics as an initial step toward whole-device modeling. We present our experience in using the common componment architecture (CCA) as the underlying framework for the integration of the different physics modules. This work illustrates the viability of using high performance component technology in a complex simulation environment.