Output Files

As the run proceeds, Cosmos writes data to various output files. These are stored in the current working directory unless a different output directory is specified as an argument when the program is started. As Cosmos runs can last for an indefinitely long time (if no limit is set on the length of the run by the parameters limited_run and number_of_timeslices), the output files could also potentially grow indefinitely large. In order to keep the files at a manageable size, Cosmos breaks down the files described below (except for run.log, species_current.dat and autosave.ser) in the following way: each filename is given an additional extension, which is initially .AA (e.g. concentrations.dat.AA). When the size of the output file exceeds a threshold (set by the parameter max_output_file_size), Cosmos closes the file, compresses it (using gzip), and opens a new file with an incremented extension name (i.e. the second file will have the extension .AB). Writing continues in this new file until that too reaches the threshold size, and the compression procedure is repeated.