diff --git a/res/cmake/test.cmake b/res/cmake/test.cmake
index 1f7331b1d..4c975ba71 100644
--- a/res/cmake/test.cmake
+++ b/res/cmake/test.cmake
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ if (test AND ${PHARE_EXEC_LEVEL_MIN} GREATER 0) # 0 = no tests
   add_subdirectory(tests/core/utilities/range)
   add_subdirectory(tests/core/utilities/index)
   add_subdirectory(tests/core/utilities/indexer)
+  add_subdirectory(tests/core/utilities/meta)
   add_subdirectory(tests/core/utilities/cellmap)
   #add_subdirectory(tests/core/numerics/boundary_condition)
   add_subdirectory(tests/core/numerics/interpolator)
diff --git a/src/core/utilities/meta/meta_utilities.hpp b/src/core/utilities/meta/meta_utilities.hpp
index 3bea76ba3..0d753b452 100644
--- a/src/core/utilities/meta/meta_utilities.hpp
+++ b/src/core/utilities/meta/meta_utilities.hpp
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 #define PHARE_CORE_UTILITIES_META_META_UTILITIES_HPP
 
 #include <iterator>
+#include <tuple>
 #include <type_traits>
 
 #include "core/utilities/types.hpp"
@@ -17,7 +18,7 @@ namespace core
     struct dummy
     {
         using type              = int;
-        static const type value = 0;
+        static type const value = 0;
     };
 
 
@@ -69,6 +70,7 @@ namespace core
     using SimulatorOption = std::tuple<DimConstant, InterpConstant,
                                        std::integral_constant<std::size_t, ValidNbrParticles>...>;
 
+
     constexpr decltype(auto) possibleSimulators()
     {
         // inner tuple = dim, interp, list[possible nbrParticles for dim/interp]
@@ -81,6 +83,43 @@ namespace core
                           SimulatorOption<DimConst<2>, InterpConst<3>, 4, 5, 8, 9, 25>>{};
     }
 
+    constexpr static auto n_possibleSimulators()
+    {
+        return std::tuple_size_v<decltype(possibleSimulators())>;
+    }
+
+    template<typename Dimension, typename InterpOrder, typename... NbRefinedParts>
+    auto static constexpr validNbrParticlesFor(
+        std::tuple<Dimension, InterpOrder, NbRefinedParts...> const&)
+    {
+        return std::tuple<NbRefinedParts...>{};
+    }
+
+    template<std::size_t dim, std::size_t interp /*, etc*/>
+    auto static constexpr simulatorTupleIndex()
+    {
+        std::int64_t idx               = -1;
+        auto constexpr simulators_list = possibleSimulators();
+        auto constexpr predicate       = [](auto i, auto& idx) constexpr -> void {
+            using SimuType = std::decay_t<decltype(std::get<i>(simulators_list))>;
+            constexpr std::tuple_element_t<0, SimuType> _dim{};
+            constexpr std::tuple_element_t<1, SimuType> _interp{};
+            if constexpr (dim == _dim() and interp == _interp())
+                idx = i;
+        };
+
+        for_N<n_possibleSimulators()>(predicate, idx);
+
+        assert(idx >= 0);
+        return static_cast<std::size_t>(idx);
+    }
+
+    template<std::size_t dim, std::size_t interp>
+    auto static constexpr validNbrParticlesFor()
+    {
+        return validNbrParticlesFor(
+            std::get<simulatorTupleIndex<dim, interp>()>(possibleSimulators()));
+    }
 
     template<typename Maker> // used from PHARE::amr::Hierarchy
     auto makeAtRuntime(std::size_t dim, Maker&& maker)
@@ -90,7 +129,7 @@ namespace core
 
         core::apply(possibleSimulators(), [&](auto const& simType) {
             using SimuType = std::decay_t<decltype(simType)>;
-            using _dim     = typename std::tuple_element<0, SimuType>::type;
+            using _dim     = std::tuple_element_t<0, SimuType>;
 
             if (!p)
                 p = maker(dim, _dim{});
diff --git a/src/core/utilities/types.hpp b/src/core/utilities/types.hpp
index ee90667ad..a262eb73f 100644
--- a/src/core/utilities/types.hpp
+++ b/src/core/utilities/types.hpp
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ namespace core
 
     NO_DISCARD inline std::optional<std::string> get_env(std::string const& key)
     {
-        if (const char* val = std::getenv(key.c_str()))
+        if (char const* val = std::getenv(key.c_str()))
             return std::string{val};
         return std::nullopt;
     }
@@ -424,8 +424,8 @@ enum class for_N_R_mode {
     forward_tuple,
 };
 
-template<std::uint16_t N, auto M = for_N_R_mode::make_tuple, typename Fn>
-constexpr auto for_N(Fn& fn)
+template<std::uint16_t N, auto M = for_N_R_mode::make_tuple, typename Fn, typename... Args>
+constexpr auto for_N(Fn& fn, Args&&... args)
 {
     /*  // how to use
         for_N<2>([](auto ic) {
@@ -435,8 +435,8 @@ constexpr auto for_N(Fn& fn)
     */
 
     static_assert(std::is_same_v<decltype(M), for_N_R_mode>);
-    using return_type
-        = std::decay_t<std::invoke_result_t<Fn, std::integral_constant<std::uint16_t, 0>>>;
+    using return_type = std::decay_t<
+        std::invoke_result_t<Fn, std::integral_constant<std::uint16_t, 0>, Args&...>>;
     constexpr bool returns = !std::is_same_v<return_type, void>;
 
     if constexpr (returns)
@@ -444,24 +444,24 @@ constexpr auto for_N(Fn& fn)
         return std::apply(
             [&](auto... ics) {
                 if constexpr (M == for_N_R_mode::make_tuple)
-                    return std::make_tuple(fn(ics)...);
+                    return std::make_tuple(fn(ics, args...)...);
                 else if constexpr (M == for_N_R_mode::make_array)
-                    return std::array{fn(ics)...};
+                    return std::array{fn(ics, args...)...};
                 else if constexpr (M == for_N_R_mode::forward_tuple)
-                    return std::forward_as_tuple(fn(ics)...);
+                    return std::forward_as_tuple(fn(ics, args...)...);
                 else
                     throw std::runtime_error("unknown return mode");
             },
             apply_N<N>(Apply{}));
     }
     else
-        std::apply([&](auto... ics) { (fn(ics), ...); }, apply_N<N>(Apply{}));
+        std::apply([&](auto... ics) { (fn(ics, args...), ...); }, apply_N<N>(Apply{}));
 }
 
-template<std::uint16_t N, auto M = for_N_R_mode::make_tuple, typename Fn>
-constexpr auto for_N(Fn&& fn)
+template<std::uint16_t N, auto M = for_N_R_mode::make_tuple, typename Fn, typename... Args>
+constexpr auto for_N(Fn&& fn, Args&&... args)
 {
-    return for_N<N, M>(fn);
+    return for_N<N, M>(fn, args...);
 }
 
 template<std::uint16_t N, typename Fn>
diff --git a/tests/core/utilities/meta/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/core/utilities/meta/CMakeLists.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f04907970
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/core/utilities/meta/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,20 @@
+
+cmake_minimum_required (VERSION 3.20.1)
+
+project(test-meta-utilities)
+
+set(SOURCES test_meta_utilities.cpp)
+
+add_executable(${PROJECT_NAME} ${SOURCES})
+
+target_include_directories(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE
+  ${GTEST_INCLUDE_DIRS}
+  )
+
+target_link_libraries(${PROJECT_NAME} PRIVATE
+  phare_core
+  ${GTEST_LIBS})
+
+add_no_mpi_phare_test(${PROJECT_NAME} ${CMAKE_CURRENT_BINARY_DIR})
+
+
diff --git a/tests/core/utilities/meta/test_meta_utilities.cpp b/tests/core/utilities/meta/test_meta_utilities.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b43edabbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/core/utilities/meta/test_meta_utilities.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,30 @@
+#include <string>
+#include <vector>
+#include <random>
+
+#include "core/utilities/meta/meta_utilities.hpp"
+
+#include "gtest/gtest.h"
+
+using namespace PHARE::core;
+
+struct MetaUtilitiesTest : public ::testing::Test
+{
+};
+
+TEST(MetaUtilitiesTest, testvalidNbrParticlesFor)
+{
+    std::size_t constexpr static dim    = 2;
+    std::size_t constexpr static interp = 2;
+
+    auto constexpr validNbrParticlesTuple = validNbrParticlesFor<dim, interp>();
+    auto constexpr n_validNbrParticles    = std::tuple_size_v<decltype(validNbrParticlesTuple)>;
+    EXPECT_EQ(n_validNbrParticles, 5);
+}
+
+int main(int argc, char** argv)
+{
+    ::testing::InitGoogleTest(&argc, argv);
+
+    return RUN_ALL_TESTS();
+}