Conveners
1.2 Computational Plasma Physics II
- YANGYANG FU (Michigan State University)
The efficient simulation of plasmas via the particle-in-cell (PIC) algorithm requires that the macroparticle density be isotropic, while the physical density can vary significantly in space and time. This isotropic macroparticle density ensures good statistics in reactions and charge deposition while maintaining ideal computational load balance. Especially in the case of cascade ionization,...
Global (volume-averaged) models present valuable tools in predicting macroscopic plasma behavior and giving the ability to evaluate the importance of individual reactions in plasmas, which further helps identify the key reactions for spatial-dependent simulations[1]. The Kinetic Global Model framework (KGMf) was extended and coupled with a Boltzmann equation solver, BOLOS[2] (using two-term...
Recent advances in implicit and hybrid techniques have demonstrated that finite-difference-time-domain particle-in-cell (PIC) simulation codes can effectively model volumetric and electrode plasmas at high density. Energy-conserving implicit kinetic algorithms greatly relax the spatial Debye length and temporal plasma frequency constraints allowing for larger simulations volumes and times. A...
The Boltzmann equation describes the evolution of the electron and ion distributions over time through a six-dimensional phase space and is at heart of the plasma kinetic theory. For highly-collisional plasmas, scattering collisions keep the distribution function nearly isotropic in velocity space with small perturbations created by the hydrodynamic and electromagnetic forces. These plasmas...
There has recently been a renewed interest at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) in better understanding the physics of the breakdown of air by a high-current, fast, pulsed electron beam. In order to simulate the breakdown of air that occurs under these conditions, new computational tools are being developed which will be able to accurately model the breakdown in the relevant parameter...
