The Kronos 81-Analysis Reproducible Suite
Kronos organizes its design physics as a suite of independent, reproducible analyses, each versioned, provenance-tracked, and regenerable from its inputs.
A suite, not a single run
Kronos frames its design physics as a collection of discrete analyses rather than one monolithic simulation. Each analysis addresses a specific question, equilibrium, transport, stability, neutronics, heating, engineering loads, and produces a defined result. Grouping them as a numbered suite makes the full body of work explicit and auditable.
Reproducibility as the design principle
Every analysis in the suite is built to be regenerated from versioned inputs through a documented pipeline. A reader with the inputs and the described method should obtain the same result. This is enforced by capturing provenance automatically and by running analyses through orchestrated workflows rather than ad-hoc scripts.
What the suite covers
- Plasma physics: equilibrium, transport, stability, heating and current drive
- Nuclear: neutron transport, tritium breeding, activation, shielding
- Engineering: electromagnetic loads, structure, thermal-hydraulics, magnets
- Cross-cutting: verification checks and uncertainty statements per analysis
Honest gates
The suite reports physics numbers with their conditions and open questions rather than as guarantees. Where analyses disagree or an assumption remains to be closed, that reconciliation is flagged, not hidden. The design point for the Hyperion breeder (D-T spherical tokamak, Q 3.424, 88.7 MW, negative triangularity) is stated together with the assumptions behind it.
Why organize it this way
Independent, reproducible analyses can be reviewed, re-run, and updated one at a time as inputs improve, without rebuilding everything. This modularity supports peer review and keeps the whole body of design physics traceable, which is the standard Kronos holds for public technical claims. The machines are design and simulation work; no hardware net-gain is claimed before first-of-a-kind operation.
The suite is described here at a high level; its value is the discipline of reproducibility and honest reporting applied across every analysis it contains.