Physics Seminar with Varchas Gopalaswamy: Fusion Energy through Laser-Driven Inertial Confinement

Harnessing nuclear fusion for clean energy has motivated decades of research worldwide. In laser-driven inertial confinement fusion (ICF), intense lasers implode a tiny fuel pellet, compressing and heating it to temperatures higher than those at the center of the Sun. A central challenge is to compress the fuel rapidly and uniformly enough for fusion heating to overcome energy losses before the fuel expands. If these conditions are met, energy released by fusion heats the fuel enough to sustain further reactions before it expands, in a process known as ignition. This talk will introduce the rich physics of ICF, review recent breakthroughs in laser fusion ignition, and explore the scientific and technological challenges of turning these advances into a practical energy source.

Dr. Varchas Gopalaswamy is a scientist at the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics and an Assistant Professor (Research) in its Department of Mechanical Engineering. His research combines machine learning, scientific computation, and experiments to advance inertial confinement fusion using the OMEGA laser system. Gopalaswamy earned a B.A. in physics from Reed College in 2015 and a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Rochester in 2021. Honors include the 2024 John Dawson Award for Excellence in Plasma Physics and the 2024 EPS–PPCF Sylvie Jacquemot Early Career Prize.