The kinetics of heat transport in novel fusion schemes

I am a PhD student on the fusion CDT programme at the University of York, having
obtained my undergraduate and masters degree in mathematical physics from the
University of Edinburgh. My background is in fundamental physics, specifically the
mathematical structures of renormalisation in quantum field theories. I decided to
make the transition to fusion energy research as it poses interesting challenges from a
fundamental physics perspective and holds promise of making a significant positive
impact on our world by providing a bountiful source of clean energy.
One approach to achieving clean fusion energy is via inertial confinement fusion (ICF).
ICF involves the use of a driver to cofine a plasma to achieve the required
temperatures and pressures for fusion to occur. A major outstanding problem in ICF is
understanding the heat transport at the interface between the driver and the fusion fuel.
Typically, heat transport is modelled using fluid dynamical approaches, however such
models are 'local', and break down when the mean free path of the particles becomes
large. I am interested in understanding and exploring non-local energy transport, as
current methods to accommodate these effects are not well understood. I explore the
coupling of non-local models, such as the Vlasov-Fokker-Planck (VFP) code 'K2', to
integrated modelling codes, such as radiation hydrodynamic codes, and use these to
simulate ablation and shock propagation.
This PhD project is partially funded by First Light Fusion (FLF), a privately funded UK
company looking to develop the worlds first ICF energy power plant. FLF have
developed a novel amplification system which allows them to achieve inertial fusion
using projectiles, bypassing prevalent physics and engineering challenges typically
associated with fusion energy. I am collaborating with them to apply my research in
these novel ICF environments.