Development of multi-scale simulation tools for laser-plasma interactions and their validation against fusion experiments

这项提案描述了一项独特的研究计划，旨在让加拿大参与并促进使用超强激光进行受控核聚变(所谓的惯性约束聚变)点火的第一次演示。几十年来，人们一直在尝试将恒星的能量聚变带到地球上，因为它承诺用可接受的废物提供可持续的能源。现在世界各地都有这样的设施，在那里点火，释放比造成内爆更多的能量可能成为现实。 由这项提议资助的研究计划旨在建立在国际合作的基础上，以加快技术的发展，提高我们详细了解和预测聚变目标中发生的过程的能力，并培训相关技术领域的人员。这项研究的具体领域是基于两个被认为是未来惯性约束聚变成功所必需的关键发展：(1)开发描述在非常不同的时间和长度尺度上发生的过程(多尺度模型)之间相互作用的计算机代码，以及(2)针对为此目的精心设计和诊断的实验对这些多尺度模型进行深思熟虑的测试。 聚变目标被强激光压缩到核聚变所需的高温和密度。然而，目标并不稳定，需要高度控制激光提供的推力，才能使目标在被压缩时保持足够的球形。根据这一计划，将采取几种策略来调查对激光的修改，这些修改既可以改善对“推力”的控制，也可以提高目标的稳定性。这将通过改善聚变靶表面喷出的强激光的传播和吸收来实现。这一区域存在着几个复杂的、非线性的过程(称为“交叉束能量转移”、“双等离子体衰变”和“受激拉曼散射”)，它们是时间和长度尺度混合的来源。这种控制方面的改进可能足以在核聚变实验中首次在实验室演示点火。这样的示范将深刻地影响全球的能源战略，并影响加拿大 最初，这项工作将使用纽约州罗切斯特的激光能量学实验室(LLE)开发的最先进的数值工具开始。新的型号将被添加，因为它们是由该计划下的各个项目开发的。这些调查的结果将激励LLE、劳伦斯·利弗莫尔国家实验室(加利福尼亚州利弗莫尔)和美国海军研究实验室(华盛顿特区)通过合作努力进行的实验，并进行测试。

This proposal describes a unique program of research that aims to involve Canada in, and to contribute toward, the first demonstration of ignition in controlled nuclear fusion using ultra powerful lasers (so-called inertial confinement fusion). Bringing fusion, the energy of the stars, to earth has been attempted for several decades because of its promise to provide sustainable energy with acceptable waste. Facilities now exist worldwide where ignition the release of more energy than used to create the implosion may become a reality. The program of research funded by this proposal aims to build on international collaboration to accelerate the development of the technology, our ability to understand and predict in detail the processes occurring in the fusion targets, and to train personnel in the relevant technical areas. The specific areas targeted by the research are based on two key developments that are thought necessary for the future success of inertial confinement fusion: (1) the development of computer codes that describe the interplay between processes occurring over vastly different time and length scales (multi-scale models), and (2) the thoughtful testing of these multiple-scale models against experiments that have been carefully designed and diagnosed for the purpose. Fusion targets are compressed to the high temperatures and densities required for nuclear fusion by intense laser beams. However, the target is not stable and a high degree of control over the “push” provided by the laser beams is required to keep the target sufficiently spherical as it is compressed. Under this program, several strategies will be pursued that will investigate modifications to the laser that will both improve the control over the “push” and improve the target's stability. This will be achieved by improving the propagation and absorption of the intense laser light in the blow off from the surface of the fusion target. Several complex and nonlinear processes exist in this region (with names such as “cross-beam energy transfer”, “two-plasmon decay”, and “stimulated Raman scattering”) they are the source of the mixing of time and length scales. This improvement in control may be sufficient to permit the first laboratory demonstration of ignition in a nuclear fusion experiment. Such a demonstration will profoundly influence energy strategies worldwide and impact Canada Initially, this work will begin by using state-of-the-art numerical tools developed at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE), in Rochester, NY. New models will be added as they are developed by individual projects under this program. The results of these investigations will motivate, and be tested against experiments performed through collaborative efforts at the LLE, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (Livermore, CA), and the US Naval Research Laboratory (Washington, D.C.).