Center for Nonlinear Studies

CNLS Research

The primary activity of the Center is to conduct and support basic scientific research in nonlinear and complex systems phenomena and promote their use in applied research programs. The focus of CNLS is to develop broad scientists that can span multiple disciplines combining both subject matter expertise for a range of applications with the theoretical tools (e.g. advances in analytic methods, computational methods, algorithms, and hardware). The focus areas are determined by the Executive Committee, and they are chosen by taking into consideration both the Laboratory's needs for basic science relevant to mission-critical programs and the need to stay abreast of emerging and potentially important developments in complex systems research.

Current Focus Areas

Dynamics of Systems Far From Equilibrium

Applied mathematics methods for plasma physics
Space plasmas
Structural properties of materials
Fluid dynamics and turbulence
Soft matter
Active matter
Dynamical systems

Mechanistic Studies of Human Disease

Stochastic gene regulation
Biomolecular simulations
Disease modeling
Viral dynamics

Enhanced Modeling: Innovative solutions for applied problems, novel methods in multi-scale and multi-physics applications

Identifying new approaches to solve applications
Leveraging a broad range of tools including algorithm development combining:
- Subject matter expertise
- New methods (e.g. application-specific algorithm development, artificial intelligence and machine learning)
- New architectures (quantum and neuromorphic computing)

Theory and Computation of Quantum Systems

Quantum information
Quantum many-body physics
Bose-Einstein condensates
Strongly correlated electron systems
Molecular physics
Non-adiabatic excited-state dynamics
Warm dense matter

Previous Focus Areas