Table of Contents
Grand Challenges in Computational Plasma Physics
Energy and matter, which are the basic components of our physical world, are manifested in various ways under different physical conditions and are affected by various processes. The fusion of light nuclides forms the basis of energy release in the universe, which can potentially be harnessed and used as a clean and sustainable supply of energy. One excellent example of an international program for the development of fusion as an economic energy source is the ITER project. 1 2 3 The mission of the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Fusion Energy Sciences (FES) program is to expand the fundamental understanding of matter at very high temperatures and densities, and to build the scientific foundations needed to develop a fusion energy source. A key need is the timely development of a predictive integrated simulation capability for magnetically confined fusion plasmas that are properly validated against experiments in regimes relevant for practical fusion energy production. Additional objectives are to pursue scientific opportunities and grand challenges in plasma science—including high-energy density plasma science—to better understand the universe and to enhance national security and economic competitiveness.
Subjects to be covered in this session include:
- Advanced Physics Integration Challenges
- Plasma-Material Interactions Science Challenges
- Laser-Plasma Interactions and High-Energy Density Laboratory Physics
- Basic Plasma Science/Magnetic Reconnection Physics
- Algorithms for Fusion Energy Sciences at Extreme Scale
- Mathematical Formulations
- Programming Models, Frameworks and Tools
Resources
Woodruff PPPL Theory Meeting talk
Woodruff Movie of violent VDEs in ITER