In January 2025, the ALCF deployed the exascale Aurora supercomputer, making one of the world’s most powerful computing and AI platforms available to researchers worldwide. This milestone for AI-powered science was celebrated in July with a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring a keynote address delivered by U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright. The event brought together DOE leaders, researchers, and partners from Intel and Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) to recognize the collaborative effort behind Aurora, one of the world’s first exascale systems, and its potential to transform scientific discovery.
Aurora is already propelling research across multiple domains, helping scientists tackle complex problems with unprecedented speed and scale. Taken together, these projects illustrate Aurora’s versatility as a platform that combines exascale power and AI to accelerate discovery in life sciences, engineering, energy, and emerging computing technologies.
Life Sciences
In biology and medicine, researchers are using AI and simulation on Aurora to predict how viruses evolve, improve cancer treatments and map the neural connections in the brain. By combining large-scale AI models with physics-based methods, Aurora is enabling research that aims to accelerate drug discovery, enhance global health preparedness, and deepen our understanding of complex biological systems.
Engineering
In aerospace engineering, Aurora is helping scientists better understand how air flows around aircraft during flight. High-fidelity exascale simulations allow them to capture complex phenomena such as turbulence, shock waves, and the lift generated during takeoff and landing. Teams are also using Aurora to explore next-generation propulsion systems by modeling airflow around advanced engine and wing configurations. The insights gained from these studies help improve predictive models, thereby reducing the need for physical testing and accelerating the design of quieter, more efficient aircraft.
Energy Technologies
Aurora is also playing a key role in advancing the pursuit of fusion energy. Scientists are simulating the extreme conditions inside reactors like the ITER international fusion energy project, tracking how heat, particles, and impurities move through plasma and interact with reactor walls. Alongside these simulations, researchers are using AI to predict and control the behavior of energetic particles, a key step toward managing the fusion process. With Aurora’s advanced capabilities, these simulation and AI approaches are helping enable breakthroughs needed to move fusion closer to reality.
Quantum Computing
In quantum computing, Aurora’s exascale power allows researchers to run large-scale simulations that support and validate quantum experiments. Scientists are using the system to confirm the reliability of randomness generated by quantum devices—an important feature for secure communication that is difficult to verify. They are also testing quantum algorithms designed to solve complex problems in molecular design, helping explore how quantum and classical computing can work together in future scientific applications.
