Multi-fidelity information fusion for turbulent transport modeling in magnetic fusion plasma

Maintaining the high-temperature and pressure conditions required for sustained nuclear fusion is challenging due to the turbulent transport that naturally occurs in the plasma. Developing reliable models for turbulent transport is essential for progress in fusion research and development. This study proposes multi-fidelity modeling for the improved accuracy of regression models for turbulent transport in magnetic fusion plasma. Multi-fidelity modeling combines low-fidelity data, which have low accuracy but many data points, with high-fidelity data, which are highly accurate but have few data points or small parameter ranges, to enhance the overall predictive accuracy of a model. We used a multi-fidelity information fusion technique, Nonlinear AutoRegressive Gaussian Process regression (NARGP), to solve the regression problems associated with turbulent transport in plasma. We applied NARGP to (i) merge the low-resolution and high-resolution simulation results, (ii) apply regression of turbulence diffusivity to the experimental dataset using linear analyses, and (iii) adapt the quasi-linear transport model to nonlinear simulation results of a particular discharge. We demonstrated that NARGP improved the prediction accuracy of the plasma turbulent transport model. NARGP offers a robust and versatile method for integrating multi-fidelity data, and its broad applicability may contribute to optimizing fusion reactor design and operation.