| Coupling fluid and kinetic codes for laser-driven inertial fusion energy simulations |
Coupling kinetic solutions of laser-plasma interactions to large-scale fluid simulations will help optimise experiments aimed at achieving thermonuclear fusion driven by lasers. |
In Progress |
Andrew Angus (Cohort 1) |
Tony Aber |
| Investigating the impact of equation of state uncertainties on direct-drive inertial fusion energy simulations |
Direct-drive inertial fusion energy1 (IFE) requires high-energy lasers to be focussed on a spherical target. The outer material of the target (usually plastic) ablates, driving an implosion of the core deuterium-tritium (DT) fuel. To design efficient future experiments and interpret previous ones an accurate and predictive computational modelling capability is required. This must include a formal understanding of the sources and magnitudes of uncertainty. This project will investigate the uncertainty in direct-drive IFE calculations arising from the equations-of-state used. The primary outcome of the project will be an uncertainty quantification (UQ) framework that could also be applied to other areas of uncertainty, such as opacity, emissivity and thermal transport. |
In Progess |
Charlotte Rogerson (Cohort 2) |
Tom Goffrey |
| Using surrogate models to optimise designs for laser-driven fusion power production |
Laser-plasma experiments in high-energy density physics (HEDP) and fusion research trigger kinetic scale instabilities whose effects must be included in large-scale fluid simulations. The difference in time and spatial scales between the kinetic and fluid models, along with the cost of the kinetic modelling, have hindered the full inclusion of important kinetic processes in laser-driven fusion simulations. It is critical for the design and interpretation of experiments that this is solved. This project aims to develop a surrogate model for the kinetic processes suitable for including in fluid scale simulations. |
Now Filled |
TBC (Cohort 3) |
Tony Arber, Tom Goffrey and Keith Bennett |
