Transfer learning driven design optimization for inertial confinement fusion

Transfer learning is a promising approach to creating predictive models that incorporate simulation and experimental data into a common framework. In this technique, a neural network is first trained on a large database of simulations, then partially retrained on sparse sets of experimental data to adjust predictions to be more consistent with reality. Previously, this technique has been used to create predictive models of Omega and NIF inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments that are more accurate than simulations alone. In this work, we conduct a transfer learning driven hypothetical ICF campaign in which the goal is to maximize experimental neutron yield via Bayesian optimization. The transfer learning model achieves yields within 5% of the maximum achievable yield in a modest-sized design space in fewer than 20 experiments. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this method is more efficient at optimizing designs than traditional model calibration techniques commonly employed in ICF design. Such an approach to ICF design could enable robust optimization of experimental performance under uncertainty.

Cognitive simulation models for inertial confinement fusion: Combining simulation and experimental data

The design space for inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments is vast and experiments are extremely expensive. Researchers rely heavily on computer simulations to explore the design space in search of high-performing implosions. However, ICF multiphysics codes must make simplifying assumptions, and thus deviate from experimental measurements for complex implosions. For more effective design and investigation, simulations require input from past experimental data to better predict future performance. In this work, we describe a cognitive simulation method for combining simulation and experimental data into a common, predictive model. This method leverages a machine learning technique called transfer learning, the process of taking a model trained to solve one task, and partially retraining it on a sparse dataset to solve a different, but related task. In the context of ICF design, neural network models trained on large simulation databases and partially retrained on experimental data, producing models that are far more accurate than simulations alone. We demonstrate improved model performance for a range of ICF experiments at the National Ignition Facility, and predict the outcome of recent experiments with less than ten percent error for several key observables. We discuss how the methods might be used to carry out a data-driven experimental campaign to optimize performance, illustrating the key product -- models that become increasingly accurate as data is acquired.

Transfer learning to model inertial confinement fusion experiments

Inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments are designed using computer simulations that are approximations of reality, and therefore must be calibrated to accurately predict experimental observations. In this work, we propose a novel nonlinear technique for calibrating from simulations to experiments, or from low fidelity simulations to high fidelity simulations, via "transfer learning". Transfer learning is a commonly used technique in the machine learning community, in which models trained on one task are partially retrained to solve a separate, but related task, for which there is a limited quantity of data. We introduce the idea of hierarchical transfer learning, in which neural networks trained on low fidelity models are calibrated to high fidelity models, then to experimental data. This technique essentially bootstraps the calibration process, enabling the creation of models which predict high fidelity simulations or experiments with minimal computational cost. We apply this technique to a database of ICF simulations and experiments carried out at the Omega laser facility. Transfer learning with deep neural networks enables the creation of models that are more predictive of Omega experiments than simulations alone. The calibrated models accurately predict future Omega experiments, and are used to search for new, optimal implosion designs.

Predicting the time-evolution of multi-physics systems with sequence-to-sequence models

In this work, sequence-to-sequence (seq2seq) models, originally developed for language translation, are used to predict the temporal evolution of complex, multi-physics computer simulations. The predictive performance of seq2seq models is compared to state transition models for datasets generated with multi-physics codes with varying levels of complexity - from simple 1D diffusion calculations to simulations of inertial confinement fusion implosions. Seq2seq models demonstrate the ability to accurately emulate complex systems, enabling the rapid estimation of the evolution of quantities of interest in computationally expensive simulations.

Deep neural network initialization with decision trees

In this work a novel, automated process for constructing and initializing deep feed-forward neural networks based on decision trees is presented. The proposed algorithm maps a collection of decision trees trained on the data into a collection of initialized neural networks, with the structures of the networks determined by the structures of the trees. The tree-informed initialization acts as a warm-start to the neural network training process, resulting in efficiently trained, accurate networks. These models, referred to as "deep jointly-informed neural networks" (DJINN), demonstrate high predictive performance for a variety of regression and classification datasets, and display comparable performance to Bayesian hyper-parameter optimization at a lower computational cost. By combining the user-friendly features of decision tree models with the flexibility and scalability of deep neural networks, DJINN is an attractive algorithm for training predictive models on a wide range of complex datasets.