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CommandLineOptions/index.rst

Command line options

SWIFT requires a number of runtime options to run and get any sensible output. For instance, just running the swift binary will not use any SPH or gravity; the particles will just sit still!

Below is a list of the command line options and when they should be used. The same list can be found by typing ./swift -h:

  -h, --help                        show this help message and exit

Simulation options:

  -b, --feedback                    Run with stars feedback.
  -c, --cosmology                   Run with cosmological time integration.
  --temperature                     Run with temperature calculation.
  -C, --cooling                     Run with cooling (also switches on --temperature).
  -D, --drift-all                   Always drift all particles even the ones
                                    far from active particles. This emulates
                                    Gadget-[23] and GIZMO's default behaviours.
  -F, --star-formation              Run with star formation.
  -g, --external-gravity            Run with an external gravitational potential.
  -G, --self-gravity                Run with self-gravity.
  -M, --multipole-reconstruction    Reconstruct the multipoles every time-step.
  -s, --hydro                       Run with hydrodynamics.
  -S, --stars                       Run with stars.
  -B, --black-holes                 Run with black holes.
  -u, --fof                         Run Friends-of-Friends algorithm to
                                    perform black hole seeding.
  -x, --velociraptor                Run with structure finding.
  --limiter                         Run with time-step limiter.
  --sync                            Run with time-step synchronization
                                    of particles hit by feedback events.
  --logger                          Run with the particle logger.

Simulation meta-options:

  --eagle                           Run with all the options needed for the
                                    EAGLE model. This is equivalent to --hydro
                                    --limiter --sync --self-gravity --stars
                                    --star-formation --cooling --feedback
                                    --black-holes --fof.

Control options:

  -a, --pin                         Pin runners using processor affinity.
  -d, --dry-run                     Dry run. Read the parameter file, allocates
                                    memory but does not read the particles
                                    from ICs. Exits before the start of time
                                    integration. Checks the validity of
                                    parameters and IC files as well as memory
                                    limits.
  -e, --fpe                         Enable floating-point exceptions (debugging
                                    mode).
  -f, --cpu-frequency=<str>         Overwrite the CPU frequency (Hz) to be
                                    used for time measurements.
  -n, --steps=<int>                 Execute a fixed number of time steps.
                                    When unset use the time_end parameter
                                    to stop.
  -o, --output-params=<str>         Generate a parameter file with the options
                                    for selecting the output fields.
  -P, --param=<str>                 Set parameter value, overiding the value
                                    read from the parameter file. Can be used
                                    more than once {sec:par:value}.
  -r, --restart                     Continue using restart files.
  -t, --threads=<int>               The number of threads to use on each MPI
                                    rank. Defaults to 1 if not specified.
  -T, --timers=<int>                Print timers every time-step.
  -v, --verbose=<int>               Run in verbose mode, in MPI mode 2 outputs
                                    from all ranks.
  -y, --task-dumps=<int>            Time-step frequency at which task analysis
                                    files and/or tasks are dumped.
  --cell-dumps=<int>                Time-step frequency at which cell graphs
                                    are dumped.
  -Y, --threadpool-dumps=<int>      Time-step frequency at which threadpool
                                    tasks are dumped.