Ryan Saputil

I am a student of the Fusion CDT at the University of York. My research is titled “Reconstructing Hotspot Energetics in an Inertial Fusion Experiment,” and is supervised by Prof. Nigel Woolsey (University of York) and Robbie Scott (STFC).

Prior to joining the Fusion CDT, I completed an integrated master’s in Physics, Astrophysics and Cosmology at Lancaster University (2020 – 2024). For my master’s project, I studied the role of magnetic reconnection in the interaction between the solar wind and the Earth’s magnetosphere. Studying astrophysics continued to drive my interest in fusion energy – the process which powers the Sun. During the summer of 2023, I undertook an internship under the UKAEA’s Fusion Industry Programme where I was able to step foot into the fusion industry. From this point onwards, I decided to take advantage of my knowledge and skills by pursuing a PhD in Fusion Energy at the University of York.

My research aims to reconstruct the electron temperature and density structure of the hotspot during a direct-drive inertial fusion experiment. This can be achieved by imaging the X-ray emission from an imploding capsule to create a three-dimensional view of the implosion as it reaches peak compression and temperature (in some ways similar to a CT scan). A complementary task is to create a computational model of the experiment to generate synthetic data, test and then and optimise the data analysis methodology. The project aims are to develop diagnostics for identifying implosion asymmetries or deformations that could limit the performance of a fusion experiment.

Supervisors

• Professor Nigel Woolsey
• Robbie Scott