Speaker: Dr. Leland Ellison, Pacific Fusion
Title: Multiphysics MHD Simulations for Current-Driven ICF at Ignition Scale and Beyond
Abstract: Rising demand for carbon-free energy and major technological advancements such as achieving ignition at NIF have catalyzed a national conversation on the fastest route to commercial fusion energy. Pacific Fusion has raised over $900M to date to advance current-driven inertial confinement fusion (ICF), which includes target concepts such as magLIF. Their “Demonstration System” will deliver 60 MA of current using a new, efficient pulsed power architecture and is expected to achieve facility gain, i.e., fusion energy exceeding the electrical energy stored in the capacitors used to drive the implosion. To achieve this goal, predictive multiphysics MHD simulations are essential. Pacific Fusion has been developing the FLASH code to meet this need, including adding new physics capabilities and conducting extensive validation against a suite of experimental and simulation results. This talk will review the physics basis for current-driven ICF, describe Pacific Fusion’s mission, and present challenges and opportunities in simulating current-driven ICF for ignition and high-gain fusion systems.
Bio: Dr. Leland Ellison is a founding member of Pacific Fusion where he leads the Simulation and Modeling Team. Prior to joining Pacific Fusion, he received his PhD at the Princeton Plasma Physics Lab developing structure-preserving numerical methods. After his PhD, he led the MHD development of one of Lawrence Livermore National Lab’s multiphysics codes and supported current-driven ICF target design for experiments at Sandia National Lab’s Z facility. He also spent time as a Research Associate at a Silicon Valley venture capital firm and as a consultant for computational physics in the private fusion sector.
Event details: In-person seminars are only available to CU ID holders. At this time, Non-Columbia affiliates and the general public are only invited to participate remotely. Contact [email protected] if you would like the Zoom link for this seminar.