Radha Bahukutumbi

Distinguished Scientist

Radha Bahukutumbi is currently a Distinguished Scientist in the Integrated Modeling Group at the University of Rochester’s Laboratory for Laser Energetics. Her current interests include the understanding of the physics of laser-energy coupling and growth of nonuniformities on implosion performance in direct-drive implosions. Radha also enjoys identifying challenges related to nuclear astrophysics that can be addressed using high-power lasers. She came to LLE in 1997 after completing her Ph.D. in Theoretical Nuclear Physics at the California Institute of Technology to work on modeling of direct-drive–related physics including multidimensional hydrodynamic codes and particle transport in plasmas. She is one of the primary authors of the hydrodynamic code DRACO (used to model direct-drive plasmas) and the particle transport code IRIS (used to calculate and interpret neutron and charged-particle observables in implosions). Her work in room-temperature implosions was the first to include detailed simulations and experimentally identify the role of shell stability in direct-drive implosions. Radha led direct-drive research at the National Ignition Facility to study various aspects of direct-drive until 2017. Prior to her current position, Radha led the Integrated Modeling Group and was Chair of the High-Performance Computing Group at LLE. She has served on several panels and committees reviewing inertial confinement fusion, including as an advisor to the Under Secretary of Energy for Science on the National Ignition Campaign. Radha also leads a group of women at LLE (Women in Science and Engineering at Rochester) with the goals of hiring, mentoring, and retention. She received the Fusion Power Associates Leadership award in 2021. Radha is a fellow of the American Physical Society.

A complete list of her papers can be found here.

Radha Bahukutumbi