I am currently a third-year DPhil student in Professor Peter Norreys' research group. Prior to this, I earned a Master's degree in Maths and Physics from the University of Warwick. During my Master's project I utilised the fully kinetic PIC code EPOCH to investigate the effects of simulated Raman scattering on inertial confinement fusion (ICF) implosions.
My DPhil research has largely focused on the development of a novel heating scheme for ICF implosions in which relativistic electron beams collisionlessly deposit energy into the hotspot plasma. To model this process, I have been working with the Vlasov code VALIS, running high-resolution simulations to understand the underlying mechanisms driving this heating. My work aims to evaluate the efficiency of the heating scheme, benchmark it against theoretical predictions, and identify ways to optimise energy transfer. These simulations offer valuable insights into the multi-stage heating process and ultimately provide strategies to maximise energy deposition from the electron beams.
Currently, I am extending my work by developing Bayesian and Particle Swarm optimisation packages tailored to the optimisation of ICF implosions.