Heavy ion fusion research in Spain

Abstract

The indirect-direct illumination scheme has been investigated, and simulations were performed using the radiation-hydrodynamics code Sara, showing good agreement with experiments performed at CEL-V Limeil (France) in the PHEBUS laser. The use of an externally guided implosion of the fuel has been suggested, where two pellets, each being accelerated from opposite mouths of a cannon barrel, will collide and implode in a central cavity. A detailed opacity model ( Jimena-Dca) has been developed that treats absorption bands that result from many-particle configurations using the original Mozskowski's formalism; our average ion model ( Jimena-Ai) also includes that model. Frequency-dependent opacities for intermediate- and high- Z plasmas have been computed and tested through the WORKOP series. An adaptive mesh scheme has been implemented in the two-dimensional Arwen code based on an implicit Riemann solver and part of a Lagrangian flux-corrected transport staggered-mesh (RMFCT) scheme. The code can handle several materials on a Eulerian mesh, and includes simple ion and laser energy sources. A two-dimensional code for radiation-hydrodynamics ( Multi-2D) has been developed that uses non-structured triangular grids, and includes arbitrary Eulerian-Lagrangian hydrodynamics, radiation transport by discrete ordinates, and laser or heavy ion beam deposition. The inventory and radiological code ACAB has been extensively used to determine the activation in inertial fusion reactors and has been improved to include pulsed regimes and fission process. A molecular dynamics code has been developed in collaboration with LLNL to study neutron damage in SiC. DENIM is actively participating as one of the main proponents of the European Heavy Ion Ignition Facility of the European authorities, together with GSI Darmstadt, ENEA Frascatti and KfK Karlsruhe.