A GPU based 3D raytracing algorithm for DUED laser fusion code

• Published in: Plasma physics and controlled fusion Vol. 66; no. 11; pp. 115009 - 115019
• Main Authors: Savino, L, Schiavi, A, Atzeni, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: IOP Publishing 01.11.2024
• Subjects: high performance computing (HPC); inertial confinement fusion (ICF); laser-raytracing
• ISSN: 0741-3335; 1361-6587; 1361-6587
• DOI: 10.1088/1361-6587/ad7d37

These days, graphical processing units (GPUs) deliver performance comparable to that of hundreds of CPU cores. This level of performance allows certain classes of simulations to be run in-house on a standard consumer workstation, eliminating the need for a cluster. In this paper, it is shown that medium-resolution, 2D radiation hydrodynamics simulations for laser-driven inertial confinement fusion with realistic 3D laser raytracing can now be conducted on a single consumer device. A novel raytracing module has indeed been developed for the 2D Lagrangian radiation-hydro-nuclear code DUED (Atzeni 1986 Comput. Phys. Commun. 43 107–24; Atzeni et al 2005 Comput. Phys. Commun. 169 153–9) to leverage the computational power of GPUs. By employing 3D raytracing, more realistic investigations of laser-driven plasmas become feasible, with a particular focus on perturbations resulting from non-uniform laser irradiation.