Using a Genetic Optimizer to Verify Helios as Xcimer's First Target Design Capability.

Helios is a 1D radiation-hydrodynamics code for modeling inertial confinement fusion implosions with direct drive and/or indirect drive. Xcimer Energy Corporation plans to use Helios as its first target design capability, and must therefore verify the code against past simulations, such as the Hydra simulation for NIF shot N210808. While using the published drive history, Helios' and Hydra's results disagree due to differences in the physics models and the EOSs used in both codes. Therefore, we have Implemented a genetic algorithm to perturb the drive temperature history of this shot to match the relevant, quantitative, implosion characterizations of the N210808 Hydra simulation using Helios. These characterizations include the adiabat, maximum implosion velocity, target gain, etc. They are produced by post-processing Helios' data in python and are returned to the genetic optimizer. The optimizer breeds the drive temperature histories with the best results for the next generation while applying smooth, continuous, random noise in the horizontal (time) and vertical (temperature) directions. After sufficient generations, a drive temperature history may be achieved that reproduces many of the quantitative characterizations within the published results of shot N210808's Hydra's simulation. Upon the achievement of this drive temperature history, the deviation from the original pulse will be documented and reemployed to guide Helios' usage as an Xcimer Energy target design capability.