Computational simulations are providing results that exhibit ever-increasing fidelity to physical reality. The National Collaboratories DOE has a remarkable array of research facilities, many of which have no counterpart anywhere else in the world. Effective use of these facilities has been constrained by scientists need for physical proximity to colleagues and resources. The National Collaboratories will enable scientists at multiple locations to use these facilities simultaneously, working together in real time on experiments and simulations. Collaboration tools will include networked file and database facilities, resource locators, video conferencing, remote instrumentation, multiple-supercomputer software, and shared visualization and virtual reality applications.
Goals Develop new capabilities, such as shared virtual reality spaces.
Resolve known problems, such as the need for reliable multicasting. Broker community-wide agreement on standards and architecture. Benefits Collaboration is essential to the efficient solution of large-scale scientific and engineering problems. Making experimental instruments and supercomputers available to qualified researchers throughout industry and academia will significantly increase the return on investment. The Materials MicroCharacterization Collaboratory Technologically advanced materials exhibit unique properties because their microstructure and microchemistry are carefully tailored during the manufacturing process.