Plasma Physics HEC Consortium

Plasma physics is the study of the properties of ionised gases. The processes, which need to be investigated, cover kinetic theory of matter far from its equilibrium state, fluid dynamics of magnetised and conductive plasmas and the interaction of these across a huge range of time and length scales, often in complex geometries. Such problems are rarely tractable analytically and thus much of plasma physics relies on High End Computing (HEC) to perform massive simulations.

This HEC Consortium will cover all aspects of computational plasma physics. This includes modelling for magnetic confinement fusion (MCF) devices to optimize reactor performance, simulations to optimize laser-particle accelerator sources, novel approaches to high-intensity laser-plasma experiments and laser-driven fusion. In all these areas HEC resources are needed for simulations which are essential to either guide experiments and research programmes (including providing a reliable predictive capability for the performance of future plasma facilities) or to interpret the complex diagnostic sets from coupled multi-scale, non-linear and often relativistic processes.

To help maintain the UK's leading role in fusion reactor design and basic plasma physics the HEC Consortium requires a block allocation of UK National level computing resource, so called Tier-1 HEC. This will ease the access to such facilities and allow the UK to collectively plan computational programmes, which will require many years to complete, in the certainty that the computing resources will be available. Over the four-year duration of this HEC Consortium computer architectures may change and optimising codes for current and future machines is therefore essential. In addition, new physics packages must be developed and implemented to keep the UK at the cutting edge of this research. The Consortium therefore also requires funding for software development to exploit the computing resources and keep codes world-leading.

Applications of the scientific research enabled by the combination of Tier-1 HEC and software support are diverse. Much of the research of the Consortium will be directed at improving reactor designs for fusion power. This is both MCF and laser fusion energy (IFE). For the former the HEC will concentrate on understanding how energy is transported from the hot plasma core and managing the extreme heat loads incident on surrounding walls. IFE's primary challenge is achieving laser-driven fusion by mitigating non-uniformities in the fuel pellet implosion, understanding the generation of fast-electrons which may prevent fusion and designing novel approached to fusion, e.g. shock or fast ignition schemes. Laser-driven plasma accelerators and radiation sources have many forms, ranging from laser-irradiated solids to compact capillary discharges; with applications including fast-ignition based laser fusion, ion sources for radiotherapy and compact ultrafast x-ray sources for penetrative probing.

A major driver of the development of laser-driven accelerators is contributing to a reduction in deaths due to cancer through better diagnosis and treatment. Besides offering a reduction in the cost and footprint of particle therapy centres, leading to more widespread availability of particle therapy, a laser-driven approach to particle therapy and radiotherapy offers a number of clinical advantages that will form the basis of new IP emerging from the project. Laser-driven technology can also transform the production of medical radioisotopes impacting on both the production of radiopharmaceuticals for medical imaging and radionuclide therapeutics for cancer treatment. The impact of laser-driven sources will also be realised in a number of additional sectors, including measurement science, laser research, energy, security and space electronics.

In the longer term the HEC project feeds into the international plans to develop fusion energy systems this century. If successful these reactors have the potential to change the world energy market, freeing us from the constraints of fossil fuel supply and directly addressing the problems of electricity supply without carbon dioxide emission. For the UK, this could also guarantee a security of energy supply independent of regions that currently control the fossil fuel market.

Research into basic plasma physics, high-energy density science, radiation-hydrodynamics and optimising codes for HEC systems will be of direct benefit to researchers at AWE. Many members of the laser-plasma community have close links with AWE on research areas of joint interest. This will itself assist AWE in its role in ensuring national nuclear security.

The Consortium will also increase the skill base of UK computational plasma physics. This will be through PhDs and PDRAs who are trained in the use of leading plasma codes and the use of the UK national HPC facility ARCHER. A cohort of new PhD students and PDRAs will be trained through the collaborating Universities in a culture of state-of-the-art software development and HEC. For most major codes this involves expertise in working with a large development team distributed around the world. Many will then choose to take the portable skills acquired from this valuable experience into UK industry, where there is strong demand for individuals with experience in HEC.