Non-LTE Radiation Transport in High Radiation Plasmas

Abstract

A primary goal of numerical radiation transport is obtaining a selfconsistent solution for both the radiation field and plasma properties, which requires consideration of the coupling between the radiation and the plasma. The different characteristics of this coupling for continuum and line radiation have resulted in two separate sub-disciplines of radiation transport with distinct emphases and computational techniques. LTE radiation transfer focuses on energy transport and exchange through broadband radiation, primarily affecting temperature and ionization balance. Non-LTE line transfer focuses on narrowband radiation and the response of individual level populations, primarily affecting spectral properties. Many high energy density applications, particularly those with high-Z materials, incorporate characteristics of both these regimes. Applications where the radiation fields play an important role in the energy balance and include strong line components require a non-LTE broadband treatment of energy transport and exchange.