Taking giant leaps in time: a differentiable JAX ice-flow model

Sat, 24 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Ice sheets evolve over centuries to millennia, yet most ice-sheet models are forced to take time steps of only a few years to remain numerically stable. Can we do better? And can we build ice-flow models that are fast, run on GPUs, and are differentiable, so that they can be calibrated with gradients and coupled into modern climate models?

In this computational project, you will develop a compact ice-flow model in JAX, starting from the Shallow Shelf Approximation in a 1D flowline setting and possibly extending to 2D. The model will be verified against analytical solutions and standard benchmarks such as MISMIP and ISMIP-HOM. Using automatic differentiation, you will compute gradients of model output with respect to inputs like basal friction and surface mass balance.

Can charged particles measure gravity?

Wed, 21 Oct 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Gravity is extraordinarily weak compared to electromagnetic forces. Could it nevertheless be measured using charged particles moving in electric and magnetic fields?

In this computational physics project, we will simulate the trajectories of different ion species and investigate whether gravitational acceleration can be distinguished from electromagnetic disturbances. The project will involve numerical integration of particle trajectories, statistical analysis, and studies of experimental limitations and systematic errors.

A central question is whether comparing ions with different masses can help separate the effects of gravity from those of stray electric and magnetic fields. Depending on the student’s interests, the project may range from a numerical feasibility study to the design of a hypothetical experimental setup.

Simulation on Aslak Grinsted

Taking giant leaps in time: a differentiable JAX ice-flow model

Can charged particles measure gravity?