MIT's Chefsi Brings Together AI, HPC and Materials Data for Advanced Simulations (www.hpcwire.com)

MIT has been selected by the DOE’s NNSA to lead CHEFSI (Center for the Exascale Simulation of Coupled High-Enthalpy Fluid–Solid Interactions), a new PSAAP‑IV research center that will develop predictive simulations of extreme physical environments—things that are hard or impossible to recreate experimentally. CHEFSI unites mechanical/aerospace engineering, materials science, applied math, and computing to model rapid, layered material responses under very high stress and heat (e.g., spacecraft reentry, hypersonics) and is one of five university centers aimed at strengthening national‑security‑relevant predictive capability. Technically, CHEFSI focuses on integrating high‑fidelity multiphysics models with AI-based surrogate models and exascale HPC, anchored by experimental validation and national‑lab datasets (Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos, Sandia). Key challenges include multiscale, coupled fluid–solid–thermal chemistry, trustworthy data curation, and iterative benchmarking so AI surrogates accelerate—not replace—physics solvers. The center emphasizes structured, validated inputs, uncertainty reduction, and workforce training for students and early researchers. By pairing exascale computation with data-driven methods and lab comparisons, CHEFSI aims to improve predictive fidelity for materials and thermal‑protection system design, with direct implications for defense, aerospace, and resilient engineered systems.