Chair for Scientific Computing
University of Kaiserslautern-Landau (RPTU)
Paul-Ehrlich-Straße 36, Room 415
67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
Office: 36-415
Phone: +49 (0)631 205 5581
Email: max.aehle@scicomp.uni-kl.de

Research Interests
My current main focus is the machine code based automatic differentiation tool Derivgrind, which I have implemented using the dynamic binary instrumentation framework Valgrind. This novel approach allows to differentiate cross-language and partially closed-source computer programs with little manual intervention. Specifically, I am motivated by the goal to provide derivatives of realistic Monte-Carlo particle simulators like Geant4 for the detector optimization undertaking of the MODE collaboration.
Besides, I develop proton computed tomography software for the Bergen pCT/SIVERT project and assist in teaching the scientific computing lecture. Previously, I have worked on the modelling of porous materials in the computational fluid dynamics suite SU2.
Talks
- Quantification and Visualization of Uncertainties in CT Reconstruction (with Viktor Leonhardt), 7th Annual Loma Linda Workshop, 03.08.2021, virtual, website
- How to use the Python/C API, SIVERT “Nice Tools” Colloquium, 20.09.2021, virtual
- Debugging C++ Code with GDB and Valgrind, SIVERT “Nice Tools” Colloquium, 25.04.2022, virtual
- Introduction to Tomographic RSP Reconstruction and Review of Existing Straight-Ray CT Codes and Architecture of a New Proton CT Code, Workshop “Recent Developments in Proton Computed Tomography”, 09.06.2022, Bergen, Norway
- Design of a Modular CT Reconstruction Framework, 8th Annual Loma Linda Workshop, 18.07.2022, virtual, website
- Towards Algorithmic Differentiation of GATE/Geant4, Second MODE Workshop on Differentiable Programming for Experiment Design, 13.09.2022, Colymbari, Greece, website
- Forward-Mode Automatic Differentiation of Compiled Programs, Scientific Computing Seminar, 03.11.2022, Kaiserslautern, Germany, website
- Forward-Mode Automatic Differentiation of Compiled Programs, Modern Applied and Computational Mathematics Seminar, 01.02.2023, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Karlsruhe, Germany
- Reverse-Mode Automatic Differentiation of Compiled Programs, Scientific Computing Seminar, 02.02.2023, Kaiserslautern, Germany, website
- AD of Compiled Programs with Derivgrind, 25th European Workshop on AD (EuroAD), 14.06.2023, INRIA Sophia-Antipolis, France, website, slides
- Differentiating GATE/Geant4 with Derivgrind, Differentiable and Probabilistic Programming for Fundamental Physics, 16.06.2023, Munich Institute for Astro-, Particle and Bio-Physics, Garching/Munich, Germany, website, slides
- Differentiating GATE/Geant4 with Derivgrind, Third MODE Workshop on Differentiable Programming for Experiment Design, 24.07.2023, Princeton University, U.S., website, slides
- Differentiating GATE/Geant4 with Derivgrind, NHR Conference ’23, 18.09.2023, Zuse Institute Berlin, Germany
- Differentiating GATE/Geant4 with Derivgrind, ALICE FSP Meeting, 27.09.2023, Lichtenfels-Schney, Germany
- Detecting ‘Bit-Tricks’ in Compiled Programs with Derivgrind , 26th European Workshop on AD (EuroAD), 04.12.2023, Aachen, Germany
Publications
2025
Neuromorphic Readout for Hadron Calorimeters Miscellaneous
2025.
Hadron Identification Prospects With Granular Calorimeters Miscellaneous
2025.
Optimization using pathwise algorithmic derivatives of electromagnetic shower simulations Journal Article
In: Computer Physics Communications, vol. 309, pp. 109491, 2025.
Hybrid parallel discrete adjoints in SU2 Journal Article
In: Computers & Fluids, vol. 289, no. 106528, 2025.
Development of the trigger-controlling system for the proton computed tomography prototype Journal Article
In: Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, vol. 1072, pp. 170125, 2025.
2024
Performance of the electromagnetic and hadronic prototype segments of the ALICE Forward Calorimeter Journal Article
In: Journal of Instrumentation, vol. 19, no. P07006, 2024.
Efficient Forward-Mode Algorithmic Derivatives of Geant4 Miscellaneous
arXiv:2407.02966 [physics.comp-ph], 2024.
Optimization Using Pathwise Algorithmic Derivatives of Electromagnetic Shower Simulations Miscellaneous
arXiv:2405.07944 [physics.comp-ph], 2024.
Hybrid Parallel Discrete Adjoints in SU2 Miscellaneous
arXiv:2405.06056 [cs.MS], 2024.
2023
Performance of the electromagnetic and hadronic prototype segments of the ALICE Forward Calorimeter Miscellaneous
arXiv:2311.07413 [physics.ins-det], 2023.
Exploration of Differentiability in a Proton Computed Tomography Simulation Framework Journal Article
In: Physics in Medicine and Biology, vol. 68, no. 24, pp. 244002, 2023.
End-To-End Optimization of the Layout of a Gamma Ray Observatory Miscellaneous
arXiv:2310.01857, 2023.
Progress in End-to-End Optimization of Detectors for Fundamental Physics with Differentiable Programming Miscellaneous
arXiv:2310.05673, 2023.
Uncertainty-aware spot rejection rate as quality metric for proton therapy using a digital tracking calorimeter Journal Article
In: Phys. Med. Biol., vol. 68, no. 194001, 2023.
Integrating Enzyme-generated functions into CoDiPack Miscellaneous
arXiv:2307.06075, 2023.
Toward the end-to-end optimization of particle physics instruments with differentiable programming Journal Article
In: Reviews in Physics, 2023.
The Bergen proton CT system Journal Article
In: Journal of Instrumentation, vol. 18, no. 2, 2023.
Trailing-Edge Noise Reduction using Porous Treatment and Surrogate-based Global Optimization Miscellaneous
arXiv:2301.13047, 2023.
2022
Reverse-Mode Automatic Differentiation of Compiled Programs Miscellaneous
arXiv:2212.13760, 2022.
Forward-Mode Automatic Differentiation of Compiled Programs Miscellaneous
arXiv:2209.01895, 2022.
Toward the End-to-End Optimization of Particle Physics Instruments with Differentiable Programming: a White Paper Miscellaneous
arXiv:2203.13818, 2022.
Derivatives in Proton CT Miscellaneous
arXiv: 2202.05551v1, 2022.
2021
Investigating particle track topology for range telescopes in particle radiography using convolutional neural networks Journal Article
In: Acta Oncologica, 1-6, 2021.