Oxford Centre for High Energy Density Science (OxCHEDS)

Abstract:

The modelling of dense plasmas using finite-temperature density functional theory has proven very successful in determining transport properties and the equation of state of systems where quantum many-body effects and correlations play a key role in their structure. Here we show how excited-state projector augmented-wave potentials can be used to extend these calculations to explicitly model core-hole states, allowing for the calculation of the electronic structure of a range of integer charge configurations embedded in a dense plasma environment. Our excited-state potentials show good agreement with all-electron calculations at finite-temperatures, motivating their use as an efficient approach in modelling from first principles both the structure of strongly-coupled non-equilibrium plasmas and their interaction with intense X-rays.

Abstract:

Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF) is a subject that has been studied for decades, because of its potential for clean energy generation. Although thermonuclear fusion has been achieved, the energy out has always been considerably less than the energy in, so high energy gain with a burning thermonuclear plasma is still some way off. A multitude of new science has come from the ICF programme that is relevant outside the field (typically in astrophysics). What we look at in this text is what new science can come from the much more extreme conditions that would be created in the laboratory if a burning ICF plasma could be created -- in terms of energy density the most extreme macroscopic environment ever created. We show that this could impact science from particle physics through astrophysics and on to cosmology. We also believe that the experiments that we propose here are only a small part of the science that will be opened up when a burning thermonuclear plasma is created in the laboratory.