v1.6.0 release #350

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1. logan-nc

   added this to the v1.6.0 milestone on Oct 21, 2026
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6. logan-nc commented on Oct 21, 2026

   

   logan-nc

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   @krystophny @StuartBenjamin and @d-burg currently have draft PRs. If you want these into v1.6 please finish them and mark them as ready for review (not draft). Assign a reviewer and add it to this milestone. Goal is to release next week before APS so get it on the list this week or it won't get included. Thanks for all your dev work here but don't hurt yourself/us pushing big messy changes... long live GPEC 2.0 😉
7. logan-nc commented on Oct 21, 2026

   

   logan-nc

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   @matt-pharr here is the draft v1.6.0 release notes section for docs/releases.rst. Does it look good to you? Corrections, missing items, or wording changes welcome.

   Updated Oct 24: final for the release branch. Adds #325, #327, #328, #329, #335, #339, #341, #351, #352, #354, #356, #357 and the SLAYER growth rates of #173. The "Results that change" section is removed, Fixes lines describe the fix rather than the old behavior, fixes to SLAYER code that is new in 1.6 are not listed, and lines carry no PR numbers.

   GPEC v1.6.0
   ===========
   
   This is planned to be the last minor release of the Fortran GPEC 1.x series.
   New feature development continues in the Julia GPEC 2.x code; the 1.6.x line will receive bug-fix patch releases only.
   GPEC is now distributed under the MIT license.
   
   Read the Upgrade notes first: the build system, several binary interface files, and a few namelist and output names changed, and many numerical results change because long-standing bugs were fixed (see Fixes).
   
   Upgrade notes
   -------------
   - INSTALL - The build system was rewritten. Build only from ``install/`` with ``make`` (``make -j N`` is supported); the per-directory makefiles are gone. ``FC`` and ``CC`` must be set, git is required at build time, and missing netCDF/HDF5/OpenBLAS are built from bundled git submodules (``git submodule update --init``). ``DEPSINSTALLDIR`` installs them to a shared location; ``make realclean`` is required before switching compilers.
   - ALL - Rerun the full chain after upgrading. DCON ``euler.bin`` has a new record (``wv_farwall_flag``), and the resistive interface files ``delta.bin``, ``gal_solution.bin``, ``globalsol.bin`` and ``vmat.bin`` changed format, so RDCON, RMATCH and GPEC must be rerun together.
   - DCON, RDCON - ``vacuum.bin`` is no longer written by default (set ``bin_vac=t``). GPEC always recomputes the vacuum matrices and ignores ``ivacuumfile``. ``ahg2msc.out`` is no longer written; vacuum data are passed in memory (``out_ahg2msc`` in ``equil.in`` restores the files).
   - RDCON - ``coil%rpec_flag`` moved from ``&GAL_OUTPUT`` to ``&RDCON_CONTROL`` in ``rdcon.in``. Setting it in ``&GAL_OUTPUT`` still works but prints a deprecation warning.
   - RMATCH - ``ntor`` is no longer an input (n is read from ``delta.bin``); remove it from any ``rmatch.in`` that sets it. The default inner-layer solver is now ``inps_type="inps"`` with ``nx=512``, and the eigenvalue search uses the ``2*pi*n*Omega`` rotation convention of RPEC.
   - DCON, PENTRC, COIL, STRIDE - Thread counts default to ``OMP_NUM_THREADS`` (inputs default to 0). ``parallel_threads`` is renamed ``dcon_kin_threads`` and ``openmp_threads`` is renamed ``pentrc_threads``; the old names still work with a deprecation warning.
   - EQUIL - ``newq0 < 0`` (including the undocumented ``newq0=-1`` sign flip) now stops with an error. ``eq_type`` ``marklin_direct``, ``marklin_inverse`` and ``hansen_inverse`` were removed; ``chease2`` is renamed ``chease_ascii`` (the old name still works with a warning).
   - GPEC - Renamed outputs: netCDF ``w_isl_crit`` is now ``w_isl_v_crit``; cylindrical ``vcbr``, ``vcbz``, ``vcbp`` are now ``b_r_vacuum``, ``b_z_vacuum``, ``b_p_vacuum``. The ``gpec_singfld_n#.out`` ASCII columns changed (new threshold, island-width and pressure columns). ``I_overlap_norm`` and the DCON/RDCON ``W_v_eigenvalue`` are now 1-D real arrays.
   - RDCON - The netCDF output is ``rdcon_output_n#.nc`` (it no longer overwrites DCON's ``dcon_output_n#.nc``).
   - PENTRC - With ``pmodb_file``, PENTRC now reads the supplied ``Bdivxi_perp`` column. Regenerate ``gpec_pmodb_n#.out`` with GPEC 1.6 before using it.
   - DOCS - All DIII-D examples now use a public TokaMaker DIII-D-like H-mode equilibrium and kinetic profiles in place of the KEFIT 147131 files.
   
   Adds
   ------
   - SLAYER - New slab-layer linear drift-MHD module (Park, PoP 2022) with a standalone ``slayer`` executable, ``input/slayer.in`` and an a10 example.
   - SLAYER - Tearing-mode growth rates at the STRIDE rational surfaces by matching the inner-layer and outer Delta' (optional critical Delta, ``dc_type``), per surface or coupled, with the E x B Doppler shift (``slayer_output_n#.nc``; see the DIII-D ideal example).
   - GPEC - SLAYER resonant-field penetration threshold at each rational surface (``singthresh_slayer_flag``; ``singthresh_callen_flag`` selects the Callen threshold and ``singthresh_flag`` enables both). New netCDF ``Phi_res_crit``.
   - GPEC - Prandtl number for the SLAYER threshold set by ``singthresh_slayer_inpr`` (default 5.0) or per rational surface by ``singthresh_slayer_inpr_prof``.
   - GPEC - Callen saturated and minimum island widths (``w_isl_sat``, ``w_isl_min``) and the Callen critical resonant field ``Phi_res_crit_callen``.
   - GPEC - Estimate of the pressure lost to Callen-saturated islands (``dP_res``, ``P_res`` and the modified pressure profile ``p_mod``).
   - GPEC - Bernstein/Chance decomposition of the eigenmode potential energy (``effective_field_flag``, ``standard_form_flag``, ``effective_field_terms_flag``, ``curl_check_flag``, ``recon_out``, ``recon_int``) with ``gpec_recon*`` outputs and a derivation note in ``docs/tex/recon``.
   - GPEC - Mutual inductance between the plasma surface and a conformal wall and its inverse (``M_w``, ``M_w_inv``); ``wv_farwall_flag`` in ``dcon.in`` keeps no-wall eigenmodes for GPEC while the wall inductance is computed; ``mutual_test_flag`` diagnostics.
   - GPEC - Resistive perturbed equilibria (RPEC) carry the analytic Galerkin derivative d(xi)/dpsi and the RMATCH field through to GPEC. Per-surface resistive sweet spots from the Lundquist number (``use_res_spot``, ``sing_resspot``, ``sing_interpspot``) and new outputs ``sing_spots``, ``Sfac``, ``tauA``, ``tauR``, ``Jbgradpsi_rmatch`` and ``b_pen``.
   - GPEC - Dominant-mode overlap outputs ``dominant_mode_overlap`` and ``dominant_mode_local_overlap``.
   - GPEC - Full set of DCON plasma attributes and local SLAYER inputs in the profile and control netCDF outputs.
   - COIL - Shift and tilt coils from ``coil.in`` (``coil_shift[xyz]``, ``coil_tilt[xyz]``, ``coil_[xyz]nom``, ``cnpert``), with optional netCDF output of the modified geometry (``coil_out``).
   - COIL - OpenMP-parallel Biot-Savart fields with a new ``coil_threads`` input; the maximum number of coils is raised from 50 to 500; MAST-U, JET ex-vessel and extra ITER coil sets.
   - RDCON - netCDF output ``rdcon_output_n#.nc`` (``netcdf_out``, default true) with the ``dcon.out`` content, the Delta, Delta', Delta_gw and Delta_coil matrices and the Galerkin cell layout.
   - RDCON - Optional modified Rutherford equation terms (``MRE_flag``, ``geom_flag``) with a radial Zeff profile (``Zeff``, ``psi_N_Zeff``).
   - RDCON - STRIDE-style truncation controls ``qlow``, ``qhigh`` and ``reform_eq_with_psilim``; ``gnstep`` sets the maximum LSODE steps for the Galerkin basis; ``interp_np_res`` refines output in resonant cells.
   - MATCH - ``sol_num`` selects which DCON eigenfunction MATCH reconstructs.
   - PENTRC, DCON - ``kinetic_format="rates-v1"`` reads a 9-column kinetic file that supplies logLambda, nu_i and nu_e directly (default ``"legacy"`` unchanged).
   - PENTRC - Separate energy-integration tolerances ``atol_x``, ``rtol_x`` (tighter by default, so runs take longer); Zeff and ``omega_p`` in the netCDF profile output.
   - EQUIL - ``profile_source="integrate"`` builds F and p from the g-file's FF' and p' (recommended only for single-precision g-files such as TokaMaker's); default ``"values"`` is unchanged.
   - EQUIL - ``ldp_i`` (TokaMaker i-file) reader accepts F < 0 and an optional ``[psi_axis, psi_lcfs]`` record.
   - EQUIL - ``enstep`` sets the maximum field-line integration steps in ``direct_run`` (default 16384, previously fixed at 2048).
   - EQUIL - LAR ``sigma_type='wesson'`` current profile; ``chease_ascii`` eq_type.
   - VACUUM - New Green's function evaluation (Chance 2007), more accurate at high n; ``use_legacy_greens_function`` restores the old one.
   - INSTALL - gfortran (with OpenMP), ifx and ARM macOS support; ``OPENBLASHOME``; ``make deps`` / ``make checkdeps``; build instructions for NERSC, SNU 3DST, PLARE and WSL.
   - CI - GitHub Actions builds with gfortran and ifort and runs Solov'ev ideal, kinetic, resistive and energy-decomposition examples on every pull request.
   - DOCS - Installation page, sign-conventions reference, resonant coupling, energy-decomposition and pmodb gauge output docs, and the ``docs/tex`` notes (moved from ``tex/``).
   
   Changes
   --------
   - ALL - GPEC is released under the MIT license (``install/LICENSE``), replacing the previous user agreement.
   - ALL - Floating-point kinds are standardized on ``REAL(r8)``; LSODE updated to Fortran 2018; duplicate utility, grid, spline and jacobi code consolidated; obsolete files removed.
   - ALL - Consistent ``!! WARNING`` terminal messages; GPEC reports CPU and wall time separately for OpenMP runs.
   - DCON - Stops with a clear error when ``nn = 0``.
   - GPEC - Singular-coupling overlap outputs have correct units (Tesla, or % for ``*_overlap_norm``) and consistent descriptions.
   - GPEC - ``singthresh_callen_flag`` forces ``vsingfld_flag`` when coils are present; ``gal_flag`` runs always use the resistive sweet spot.
   - RDCON - Free-boundary energies use the DCON vacuum-call pattern and a complex eigen-solve; ``euler.bin`` stores the complex eigenvalues.
   - RDCON - ``solver="cholesky"`` switches to LU with a warning when ``rpec_flag=t``.
   - RDCON, STRIDE - Modules renamed with ``rdcon_``/``stride_`` prefixes; STRIDE builds without OpenMP and uses ``OMP_SET_MAX_ACTIVE_LEVELS``.
   - STRIDE - Banded solve of the Delta' boundary-value problem (faster at high n).
   - RDCON - Lower peak memory in the LU Galerkin solve.
   - PENTRC - Exact-zero ``omega_E`` knots are replaced by 1e-9 rad/s with a warning.
   - PENTRC, STRIDE - LSODE failures in the PENTRC energy and radial integrations and ZVODE failures in STRIDE stop with a nonzero exit status.
   - EQUIL - Tabulated Zeff and kinetic profiles use monotone (pchip) fits.
   - DOCS - Template and example decks document the new inputs (including ``enstep`` in ``equil.in``), ``rmatch.in`` is fully commented, and the a10 example writes the PENTRC ASCII tables.
   
   Fixes
   ------
   - PENTRC - ``fcgl`` recovers all of kappa.xi_perp from dB/B and div(xi_perp), not half.
   - PENTRC - Removed a spurious factor of the major radius from the general-aspect-ratio ``omega_D`` (``fgar``, ``tgar``, ``pgar``, ``*mm``); recompute results from these methods.
   - PENTRC - Removed spurious factors of ``sqrt(B0)`` from the ``clar`` ``omega_b`` and ``B0`` from its ``omega_D``.
   - PENTRC - Fixed OpenMP data races (energy contour flag, ``tpsi``, shared splines), so results no longer depend on the thread count.
   - PENTRC - Fixed an out-of-bounds ``bpts`` array and a kinetic-spline length mismatch in ``tpsi``.
   - PENTRC - ``rlar`` uses the evaluated ``fnml_f`` in the pitch integrand, so it no longer returns zero torque.
   - PENTRC, DCON - Large automatic arrays in the pitch and energy integrations are heap allocated, so OpenMP kinetic runs no longer overflow the worker-thread stacks.
   - PENTRC, DCON - The kinetic Euler-Lagrange matrices (``kin_flag``) conjugate the bounce-averaged W vectors, so they act on the actual perturbation instead of its up-down mirror image (up-down asymmetric equilibria only).
   - PENTRC - Collision frequencies use a monotone (pchip) fit with temperature and logLambda floors, so they stay positive near a cold edge; non-positive densities and negative temperatures stop with an error.
   - PENTRC - Parallel-velocity bounce-root splines use periodic end conditions.
   - PENTRC - The ``omega_D`` integrand is no longer padded with ``omega_b`` values near the trapped/passing boundary.
   - PENTRC - Fixed anti-damping with ``nutype="small"`` for negative ``omega_E``.
   - PENTRC - Radial torque-density export writes the last surface's own value.
   - DCON - Fixed the kinetic matrix ``kinfac`` for ``method > 0`` and race conditions in the kinetic matrix loop.
   - DCON - Plasmas with q0 >= qa are no longer truncated in the deep core.
   - DCON - Fixed out-of-bounds singular-surface access when the q range has no rational surface.
   - DCON, RDCON, STRIDE - With ``sas_flag``, ``dmlim`` no longer carries ``qlim`` past ``qhigh``.
   - DCON, RDCON, STRIDE - The free-boundary vacuum matrix and eigenvector norm are put in the plasma's Fourier frame, so delta-W no longer depends on the theta=0 origin.
   - DCON, RDCON - The singular reduction at a rational surface is kept when a norm reset falls just before it.
   - DCON - ``W_v_eigenvalue`` holds the correct real eigenvalues.
   - DCON, RDCON, STRIDE - Frobenius exponents at rational surfaces include the trace of the resonant block (no spurious imaginary parts on the Delta' diagonal); Mercier alpha is computed in double precision.
   - DCON, RDCON - Fixed Taylor-series slot typos in ``sing_mmat`` (F 6th order; DCON G 3rd order for ``sing_order >= 3``).
   - DCON, RDCON, STRIDE, GPEC - Fixed LAPACK and ZVODE argument types, sizes and work arrays (``W_xe_*`` used a stale matrix; ``s_P`` precision; uninitialized ``out_evals`` columns).
   - RDCON - Added missing zero initializations, safe deallocations and the correct ``restore_us`` condition in the Galerkin solver; ``vmat.bin`` is written correctly.
   - RDCON - Galerkin F is built from the same factored spline as the asymptotics.
   - RDCON - Galerkin vacuum matrix keeps its imaginary part; the LU solve is diagonally scaled; a failed Cholesky falls back to LU.
   - RDCON - Galerkin elements below a singular surface are sized with ``|n q1|`` instead of ``|q1|``.
   - RDCON - Fixed the ``delta_gw.out`` crash with 25 or more singular surfaces and the netCDF failure with ``rpec_flag=f``; ODE integration checks that it reaches psilim.
   - RDCON - The netCDF Galerkin cell grid is initialized when the Galerkin output flags are off.
   - RDCON, GPEC - Removed spurious shielding at the RPEC control surface; fixed the ``globalsol.bin`` point-count mismatch that blocked field penetration at rational surfaces.
   - RMATCH - Removed spurious "imap error" messages with the default ``inps_type="inps"``.
   - RMATCH - Fixed an out-of-bounds read in ``match_solution`` when ``msing`` is less than RDCON's surface count, an uninitialized ``delta`` and an undefined-behavior logical in ``inps_ua``.
   - GPEC - Control-surface normals ``R_n`` and ``z_n`` use the current geometry derivatives.
   - GPEC - ``xbnormal`` normalizes each surface with its own major radius.
   - GPEC - pmodb netCDF functions (``b_eul_fun``, ``b_lag_fun``, ``Bdivxi_perp_fun``, ``Bkappaxi_perp_fun``) have correct imaginary parts and include the theta=1 row.
   - GPEC - pmodb divergence output honours ``reg_flag=f``; the pmodb diagnostic projection uses the current Jacobian.
   - GPEC, PENTRC - pmodb ``Bdivxi_perp`` and ``Bkappaxi_perp`` are formed directly from xi_perp instead of subtracting a Fourier-truncated parallel displacement; PENTRC's ``pmodb_file`` reader uses them instead of ``b_lag``.
   - GPEC - Fixed a use-after-free of the local coupling vectors; exported singular vectors use the adjoint area weighting; ``C_l<tag>_x_out`` holds the local coupling matrix.
   - GPEC - ``q1`` at resonant surfaces is computed instead of set to 0; fixed out-of-bounds access with a single rational surface, a netCDF buffer error when ``coil_flag`` is set without coils, the ``gpout_xbnormal`` array length and long_name attributes written to the wrong files.
   - STRIDE - Fixed an OpenMP data race in ZLANGE, stack overflow at large ``mpert``, an out-of-bounds write and a double allocation.
   - STRIDE - The interval from the axis to the first rational surface is always split into at least 8 pieces.
   - VACUUM - Fixed an off-by-one between ``mthsurf`` and ``mthvac``, a divide by zero in ``defglo`` and out-of-bounds writes; observer-grid coordinates are double precision.
   - COIL - Fixed undefined spline memory and an out-of-range write in ``field.F``; zero-amplitude shifts no longer distort the coils.
   - EQUIL - Fixed spline "extrap" end derivatives on clustered grids and real-valued classic complex spline coefficients; ``spline_roots`` finds roots near cell endpoints.
   - EQUIL - Fixed uninitialized ``ro``/``zo`` for EFIT input, ``eq_type="dump"`` for direct equilibria, an out-of-bounds write for g-files without a q column, a crash re-splining inverse equilibria, and the CHEASE ASCII reader; the field-line integration failure message is printed in full.
   - EQUIL - Direct equilibria are now sampled exactly at the common straight-fieldline angles instead of interpolated from each surface's own field-line trace.
   - EQUIL - ``grid_type="original"`` honours ``psilow`` and ``psihigh``.
   - INSTALL - The embedded version string uses release tags only; bundled dependencies honour ``FC``/``CC`` and embed an rpath; xdraw compiles with strict C99/C11 compilers; added missing build dependencies.
   
8. matt-pharr commented on Oct 21, 2026

   

   matt-pharr

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   Looks good to me! Nothing stands out to me as missing here.
9. krystophny commented on Oct 21, 2026

   

   krystophny

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   #340, #341, #342 and #343 are ready for review and on the v1.6.0 milestone. Each is now the minimal source fix without new tests or CI targets; the regression checks and FortSym derivations are on linked evidence branches. #341 and #342 change PENTRC results (numbers in the PR bodies). #339 (pmodb gauge docs) and #344 (new perturbed Boozer/Hamada |B| output) stay out of 1.6; the #344 feature would go to the Julia 2.x code instead. Nothing else from me for 1.6.0.

   Chris&AI

   ❤️React with ❤️1Reacted by Nikolas Logan
10. krystophny commented on Oct 22, 2026

    

    krystophny

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    #341: I went for the GPEC-side fix. gpout_pmodb now forms the perpendicular displacement from (ξ^ψ, ξ^s) (cbf20c0), the output format is unchanged, and the identity residual at resonant m drops from 49–175 to below 2e-3. PENTRC's integrated divx and dB/B move by 1–4 % relative to develop. Numbers and derivation are in the PR. It is ready for re-review for 1.6.0.

    Chris&AI
11. logan-nc commented on Oct 23, 2026

    

    logan-nc

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    @StuartBenjamin @d-burg, last call: I plan to make the v1.6.0 release on the plane home tomorrow.

    Please wrap up your draft PRs before then. For each one, either:

    • mark it ready for review, assign a reviewer and add it to the v1.6.0 milestone, or
    • close it with a note pointing to where the work continues in the Julia code.

    Open drafts:

    • @StuartBenjamin: STRIDE - BUGFIX - Split the axis interval into at least 8 pieces #325, RDCON - BUGFIX - Fill the netcdf cell grid whatever the Galerkin output flags #327, DCON, RDCON, STRIDE - BUGFIX - Keep the dmlim qlim within qhigh #328, EQUIL - BUGFIX - Sample every direct-equilibrium surface at the common straight-fieldline angles #329, EQUIL - BUGFIX - Bound grid_type original by psilow and psihigh #335
    • @d-burg: Growth rate calculation functionality added to gslayer.f #173, Symmetrize STRIDE Δ matrices #191

    Anything still in draft when I cut the release will not be in 1.6.0.
12. StuartBenjamin commented on Oct 23, 2026

    

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    Done: I re-opened the PRs, they're all legit bug fixes I've been running thousands of calculations on
13. logan-nc

    closed this as completedon Oct 25, 2026