[Loclphys] Colloquium Announcement (Dr. Howard Scott) 11/17/2009

[Malin, Delicia M.]

Old Dominion University
Department of Physics

Fall Colloquium Series

Tuesday November 17, 2009

"NLTE Physics in the Quest for Fusion"

Dr. Howard Scott
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory



The completion of the National Ignition Facility (NIF) marks a new era in the effort to generate energy through controlled nuclear fusion. NIF utilizes the indirect drive approach to inertial confinement fusion (ICF), producing radiation within a hohlraum to compress capsules to densities and temperatures sufficient for sustained thermonuclear reactions. Current experiments on NIF are aimed at achieving ignition within the next few years. These experiments also depend upon (and validate) our understanding of and capability to simulate multiple interacting physical processes. These processes include hydrodynamics, radiation transport, plasma physics and atomic physics, as well as the desired nuclear reactions. Non-Local Thermodynamic Equilibrium (NLTE) refers to an approach to treating the interaction of atoms, electrons and radiation within a plasma which relaxes the usual assumption that the matter is in thermal equilibrium. Changes in the treatment of this physics can dramatically affect the energy balance within the hohlraum and the capsule performance, emphasizing the need for an accurate treatment of this computationally intensive topic.



Presentation: Physical Sciences Building II 1100 @ 3:00 pm
Refreshments: 1st Floor Atrium @ 2:30 pm

More details at http://www.physics.odu.edu
All are Welcome!

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