In this thesis we develop a new model for the fast generation of equation of state (EoS) data
that is self-consistent with the underlying microphysics models. Following the successful implementation
and testing of the EoS derived from the screened hydrogenic model with ℓ-splitting
(SHM-ℓ), developed by Faussurier et al. [1], this work presents the further development of the
atomic physics code, SpK. The core model of SpK solves the Saha equation, modified to capture
non-ideal physics, to obtain distributions of ion charges and their bound electron configuration
populations. Configuration energies are obtained from the NIST database, or calculated using
the SHM-ℓ. Originally designed to calculate opacities from this information, the present work
extends the capabilities of the code to calculate EoS data self-consistently with the opacity and
underlying atomic physics model.
The Q-MHD model [2], an electron EoS that utilises a fit to the Hooper microfield distribution
function [3, 4] to truncate the internal partition functions in Saha-type methods, is implemented
for weakly coupled conditions. We interpolate into the Thomas-Fermi (TF) model [5] when
strongly coupled, because the TF model is more valid than Saha-type methods in this region of
parameter space. We also implement a model approximating the physics of diatomic molecular
dissociation in the Cowan model [6] for the ion EoS. The semi-empirical bonding corrections
used in the FEOS code [7] are implemented to approximate the attractive forces of chemical
bonding, with a Maxwell construction routine developed to model the liquid-vapour coexistence
region. The result is a code that can generate tabulated EoS and opacity data in minutes.
EoS data generated by SpK is utilised in shock Hugoniot calculations and sensitivity studies on
integrated simulations of indirect-drive implosions and the experiments of Setchell et al. [8].
Both studies demonstrate a sensitivity to the choice of EoS models utilised.