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Title: A corrected method for Coulomb scattering in arbitrarily weighted particle-in-cell plasma simulations

Journal Article · · Journal of Computational Physics

A physically and statistically accurate method to perform binary, pairwise Coulomb collisions for arbitrarily-weighted macroparticles in particle-in-cell simulations is described. The method is shown to conserve global energy and momentum on average and to produce physically accurate scattering frequencies. This is justified using the statistically expected values of the method and through a series of numerical tests showing that the method is valid independently of macroparticle weight. This novel method is required due to an error in previous work on binary scattering, initially by Nanbu and Yonemura [J. Comp. Phys. 145, 639 (1998)] and applied to subsequent work, that causes inaccuracies in the scattering frequencies for unequally weighted simulations; a problem that occurs both for scattering within the group and between different groups.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC52-07NA27344
OSTI ID:
1623345
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1775907
Report Number(s):
LLNL-JRNL-766943; 957309; TRN: US2106863
Journal Information:
Journal of Computational Physics, Vol. 413, Issue C; ISSN 0021-9991
Publisher:
ElsevierCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 12 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

References (23)

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A full-angle Monte-Carlo scattering technique including cumulative and single-event Rutherford scattering in plasmas journal November 2017
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Weighted Particles in Coulomb Collision Simulations Based on the Theory of a Cumulative Scattering Angle journal September 1998
A pairwise nuclear fusion algorithm for weighted particle-in-cell plasma simulations journal July 2019
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Improved modeling of relativistic collisions and collisional ionization in particle-in-cell codes journal August 2012
Hybrid-PIC modeling of laser-plasma interactions and hot electron generation in gold hohlraum walls journal June 2017
A Grid-Based Coulomb Collision Model for PIC Codes journal January 1996
A Coulomb collision algorithm for weighted particle simulations journal August 1994
A binary collision model for plasma simulation with a particle code journal November 1977
Small-angle Coulomb collision model for particle-in-cell simulations journal March 2009
Langevin Representation of Coulomb Collisions in PIC Simulations journal December 1997
Theory of cumulative small-angle collisions in plasmas journal April 1997
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The role of orbital dynamics and cloud-cloud collisions in the formation of giant molecular clouds in global spiral structures journal March 1987
Contemporary particle-in-cell approach to laser-plasma modelling journal September 2015

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