The Plasma-CCP Network

Plasma is the dominant state of matter in the observable universe, and modern research in basic plasma physics is largely underpinned by computational plasma physics. Computational plasma physics is pivotal in efforts to develop a range of practical plasma based applications. The Plasma-CCP brings together computational plasma physicists with expertise in two major plasma application areas: magnetic confinement fusion (MCF) and laser-plasma interactions (LPI). Plasma physics lies at the heart of both application areas, but scientists tend to operate in separate communities owing to significant differences in geometrical constraints and in the physical regimes of interest. Plasma-CCP's main activity is built around core codes that are crucial for the future development of both MCF and LPI, but we note that these codes are by their very natures rather specific to each sub-discipline. The Plasma-CCP adds considerable value to the whole of plasma physics by fostering the exchange of ideas, algorithms and computer science expertise between sub-disciplines.
Specific science addressed by the MCF side of Plasma-CCP includes:
- Developing high fidelity models of plasma turbulence in the core and edge of MCF devices
- Comparing HPC simulations using state-of-the-art models against data from MCF experiments
- Exploiting turbulence models to optimise design/predict fusion performance in future devices
- Understand the transport of heat and charged particles along and across magnetic fields, interaction between plasmas, neutral gas and material surfaces.
- Modelling how the edge plasma, nearest the reactor walls, impacts on reactor performance
The LPI side of Plasma-CCP addresses a wide range of basic science and fusion related research including:
- Optimising LPI parameters for next generation hadron accelerators for cancer treatment
- Laser driven electron acceleration with applications to novel light sources
- High-field LPI of interested to high-energy density physics
- QED-plasmas as expected from the next generation of high power lasers, e.g. the Extreme Light Infrastructure (ELI) and Vulcan 20PW.
- Laser drive and plasma compression for inertial confinement fusion energy

A key element of the Plasma-CCP will be training. This will inevitably lead to an increase in the skill base of the UK plasma physics community. This will be through workshops aimed at training new PhD students in the use of community developed codes, training post-doctoral researchers in best practice for software development and collaborations with computer scientists to ensure that our senior developers are aware of the latest developments in hardware and software for high-end computing. The uplift in key skills will therefore be at all levels throughout the community. Furthermore by coordinating the efforts of researchers from new PhD to senior academic a clearer path for career development will be visible to those just starting their research career.
International efforts to generate power from magnetic confinement fusion (MCF) will concentrate on the ITER experiment under construction in France. Key to optimising the performance of the multi-billion Euro facility will be improved modelling and understanding of the plasma transport in the core of the device and at the plasma-wall boundary. The Plasma-CCP network will strongly support the UK's standing, influence and strategic interests in the international fusion programme.
At an economic level the minimum impact from this network would be PhD students and young researchers who will have had a significant training in high-end computing. Most of these will go on to jobs outside of academia taking their high-level skills into UK industry. At a higher level this Network feeds into research programmes in fusion for power which are potentially world changing. If fusion does become a significant energy source, with its limitless fuel and zero CO2 emission, UK industry will have the opportunity to move into an area with potential revenues comparable to that of the world's oil and gas industries. The Plasma-CCP ensures that the expertise needed to exploit such opportunities exists within the UK. Laser-plasma physics efforts in the UK are aimed mostly at developing new technologies for proton accelerators for hadron therapy, imaging technologies through electron acceleration or next generation light sources. All of these research programmes are underpinned by the computational work of Plasma-CCP and all have the potential for significant financial exploitation, e.g. the Centre for Advanced Laser Technology and Applications (CALTA) at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory.
Finally at a societal level much of the work, as highlighted above, feeds into international efforts to generate fusion power. If successful this would radically change government policy to energy and help move society towards a greener, but still high-tech, future. In addition much of the laser-plasma work supported under this proposal is of relevance to the work undertaken at AWE plc. and thus feeds into a central component of the UK's national defence strategy.