A research group led by Makoto Tsubokura, a team leader at RIKEN Center for Computational Science (Professor, Graduate School of Systems and Informatics, Kobe University), constructed a new coronavirus droplet / aerosol diffusion model using the supercomputer "Tomitake". In his research, he was selected for the COVID-2021 Special Research Award at the 19 Gordon Bell Awards.
According to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, the Gordon Bell Award is awarded by the American Computer Society for the most prominent research in the field of science and technology using supercomputers of the year, COVID- 19 Special Research Awards have been established since 2020.
The award-winning research was carried out while the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology is proceeding with research and countermeasures for the new corona by utilizing the partial calculation function of Tomitake, which is nearing completion.The research group predicted and visualized the scattering status of the new corona droplets and aerosols in which the droplets were micronized in the air with high accuracy that cannot be handled by ordinary supercomputers, and proposed effective infection control measures.
As a result, we found that wearing a mask has a high infection prevention effect and that ventilation as an aerosol countermeasure is effective, and widely called for the implementation of countermeasures.
In recognition of these points, the Gordon Bell Awards received the COVID-19 Special Research Award at the International Conference on High Performance Computing in the United States.
