Vlasov-Fokker-Planck Simulation of a Laser-Plasma Interaction for Inertial Confinement Fusion

Most laser-plasma interactions are in the kinetic regime, but kinetic simulations of realistic systems are rare and limited to one dimension, without magnetic field. We have coupled a new electron Vlasov-Fokker-Planck code to the Chimera radiation-magnetohydrodynamics code, which allows us to perform two-dimensional kinetic simulations of a laser-target interaction, including magnetic field, over long timescales. All of the relevant physics of laser absorption, equation of state, radiative cooling etc is included via the hydrodynamics, but with the addition of a kinetic solution for the electron thermal transport and the associated electromagnetic fields. We describe how the codes are coupled and the approach to solving for the fields via generalized Ohm’s Laws. We use the code to simulate a laser interacting with a solid, high-Z target, and choose conditions relevant to Inertial Confinement Fusion (ICF). Comparisons are then made to traditional flux-limited rad-hydro and extended-MHD models, highlighting the differences in the heat flow, absorption, generation and transport of magnetic field, and instabilities. This model complements recent advances in computational modeling of ICF plasmas [1].

[1] A.R. Bell and M. Sherlock, Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 66, 035014 (2024).