Hybrid collisional-radiative modeling for high-fidelity atomic kinetics

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Authors: Prashant Sharma, Christopher J. Fontes, Mark C. Zammit, James Colgan, Nathan Garland, Xian-Zhu Tang
Cited by: 0

Abstract

The fidelity of collisional-radiative (CR) models is critical for advancing our understanding of radiative properties and ionization balance in fusion plasmas. In this work, we present and evaluate hybrid CR schemes that combine fine-structure resolution with superconfiguration averaging, offering a practical compromise between accuracy and computational efficiency. Two hybrid CR models are developed for helium, lithium, and beryllium, retaining detailed fine-structure states up to selected principal quantum numbers, while higher-lying states are statistically averaged to form superconfigurations. These models are applied to compute radiative power loss, as well as average and effective charge states, across a wide range of electron temperatures and densities. The results are benchmarked against a fully fine-structure-resolved CR model to assess the accuracy of the hybrid approach. The findings demonstrate the versatility of hybrid CR schemes and their suitability for detailed plasma simulations where predictive fidelity must be balanced with computational cost.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Magnetic confinement fusion research Atomic and Molecular Physics Plasma Diagnostics and Applications

Publication details

Journal / source
arXiv (Cornell University)
Publication date
24 January 2026
Document type
Preprint