Course on Numerical Modelling of Plasmas
Online course of 300 hours in numerical modelling of plasmas. 6 modules covering physical descriptions of plasma, particle-in-cell methods, continuum kinetic methods, fluid and MHD models, verification, validation and HPC, and a plasma simulation project, with an assigned technical tutor.
Course on Numerical Modelling of Plasmas — studying from the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom has a long history in nuclear engineering and maintains a substantial sector spanning reactor operation, decommissioning, fuel cycle and new build projects. Sites at Sellafield, Hinkley Point, Dounreay and Harwell host work on fuel cycle, waste management and advanced reactor technology. Organisations such as the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority, EDF, Rolls-Royce SMR and Urenco UK employ engineers in design, safety and operations. Nuclear activities are overseen by the Office for Nuclear Regulation, which sets strict safety and security requirements.
Fees for the United Kingdom: £537 (Pound sterling), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in the United Kingdom
Typical roles
Questions from the United Kingdom
Which UK regulators and bodies govern nuclear engineering, and how do they treat private training?
The Office for Nuclear Regulation regulates nuclear safety in the UK, and the Nuclear Institute is the main professional body. Competence requirements for licensed sites are set by the operator and regulator. SEIUM's qualifications are private, not state degrees, and not accredited by any national body, so they carry no regulatory standing and recognition is at the discretion of employers and the Nuclear Institute.
Do UK nuclear operators and fuel cycle employers hire people with private online qualifications?
UK nuclear employers typically require security clearance, specific competence assessments and qualifications recognised within the industry. A private online qualification may add to your profile but is unlikely to replace formal requirements. Employers decide its value, so check the entry criteria for roles you want before investing in the programme.
How intensive is the programme, and can I fund it through employer sponsorship in the UK?
Specialist courses take 300 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and master's programmes 1,900 hours, all online in English with an assigned technical tutor. Fees can be paid in instalments. Employer sponsorship is possible, and many UK nuclear employers run their own training schemes, so ask whether your employer would fund this specifically.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Distinguish between kinetic, gyrokinetic, fluid and MHD descriptions of plasma.
Implement a basic particle-in-cell scheme and analyse its numerical stability.
Apply continuum kinetic methods to simple phase-space problems.
Solve fluid and MHD models with finite-volume methods.
Verify codes using manufactured solutions and convergence studies.
Run parallel simulations and assess their scalability on HPC systems.
Develop a plasma simulation project with analysis of results.
Who it's for
- Computational plasma physicists.
- HPC simulation engineers.
- Magnetic fusion researchers.
- Scientific code developers.
- Verification and validation analysts.
- Space and plasma physics researchers.
- Engineering or science graduates aiming to enter fusion research.
What you'll work with
- ASME V&V 20 (verification and validation in computational fluid dynamics and heat transfer)
- ANSI/ANS-10.4 (V&V of nuclear scientific software)
- ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207 (software life cycle processes)
- IEEE 754 (floating-point arithmetic)
- ASME NQA-1, Subpart 2.7 (software quality)
- ISO/IEC 25010 (software product quality)
- WarpX
- EPOCH
- BOUT++
- Gkeyll
- ParaView
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Debye length and plasma frequency1.2Vlasov and Boltzmann equations1.3Hierarchy of models: kinetic, fluid and MHD1.4Maxwell's equations in plasmas1.5Charged particle motion and drifts1.6Collisions and the Fokker-Planck operator1.7Temporal and spatial scales1.8Normalisation of the equations1.9Fusion, space and industrial plasmas1.10Practical exercise: Boris integrator for a single particle
2.1PIC algorithm: deposition, field solve and push2.2Shape functions and numerical noise2.3Stability and numerical heating2.4Electrostatic PIC in 1D2.5Electromagnetic PIC and the Yee scheme2.6Monte Carlo collisions (PIC-MCC)2.7WarpX, EPOCH and Smilei codes2.8Parallelisation and GPUs2.9Simulation diagnostics2.10Lab: two-stream instability with 1D PIC
3.1Grid-based Vlasov discretisation3.2Semi-Lagrangian methods3.3Operator splitting3.4Filamentation in phase space3.5Gyrokinetics and dimensional reduction3.6GENE, GYRO and GKW codes3.7Spectral methods3.8Conservation properties of the scheme3.9Computational cost in 5D and 6D3.10Workshop: Landau damping with a semi-Lagrangian Vlasov solver
4.1Ideal and resistive MHD equations4.2Finite volumes and Godunov schemes4.3The divergence-free constraint4.4Two-fluid models and the Hall effect4.5Alfvén and magnetosonic waves4.6Magnetic reconnection4.7JOREK, M3D-C1 and NIMROD codes4.8Edge transport with SOLPS-ITER4.9Stiff problems and implicit schemes4.10Lab: Brio–Wu shock tube
5.1Standard tests and analytical solutions5.2Convergence and numerical error5.3Validation against tokamak experiments5.4Reduced models and machine learning5.5Performance and scalability5.6Simulation data management5.7Visualisation with VisIt and ParaView5.8Reproducibility and version control5.9Uncertainty quantification5.10Case study: convergence study of a PIC code
6.1Selection of the physical phenomenon6.2Choice of the numerical model6.3Implementation or configuration of the code6.4Verification against a reference case6.5Production simulation6.6Analysis of physical results6.7Numerical sensitivity study6.8Discussion and conclusions6.9Report and presentation6.10Final project: final review with the tutor
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within the intake, so you can combine it with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is WarpX, EPOCH, BOUT++, Gkeyll and ParaView, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Practice is based on real procedures: reference plasma benchmark cases, simulations on computing clusters and numerical convergence studies. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final project.
Standards covered: ASME V&V 20, ANSI/ANS-10.4, ISO/IEC/IEEE 12207, IEEE 754, ASME NQA-1 Subpart 2.7, ISO/IEC 25010.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior qualification is required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours over 3 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with WarpX, EPOCH, BOUT++, Gkeyll and ParaView, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute certificate, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the final project. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed are recognised in a higher programme in the same area (postgraduate diploma or master's). Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
No prior qualification is required; you need a computer able to run the programme software and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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