Controlling the numerical Cerenkov instability in PIC simulations using a customized finite difference Maxwell solver and a local FFT based current correction

Li, Fei; Yu, Peicheng; Xu, Xinlu; Fiuza, Frederico; Decyk, Viktor K.; Dalichaouch, Thamine; Davidson, Asher; Tableman, Adam; An, Weiming; Tsung, Frank S.; Fonseca, Ricardo A.; Lu, Wei; Mori, Warren B.

doi:10.1016/j.cpc.2017.01.001

Controlling the numerical Cerenkov instability in PIC simulations using a customized finite difference Maxwell solver and a local FFT based current correction

Journal Article · Wed Jan 11 23:00:00 EST 2017 · Computer Physics Communications

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpc.2017.01.001· OSTI ID:1352201

Li, Fei ^[1]; ^[2]; Xu, Xinlu ^[2]; Fiuza, Frederico ^[3]; Decyk, Viktor K. ^[2]; Dalichaouch, Thamine ^[2]; Davidson, Asher ^[2]; Tableman, Adam ^[2]; An, Weiming ^[2]; Tsung, Frank S. ^[2]; Fonseca, Ricardo A. ^[4]; Lu, Wei ^[1]; Mori, Warren B. ^[2]

Tsinghua Univ., Beijing (China)
Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Univ. de Lisboa, Lisbon (Portugal); ISCTE - Instituto Univ. de Lisboa, Lisbon (Portugal)

In this study we present a customized finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) Maxwell solver for the particle-in-cell (PIC) algorithm. The solver is customized to effectively eliminate the numerical Cerenkov instability (NCI) which arises when a plasma (neutral or non-neutral) relativistically drifts on a grid when using the PIC algorithm. We control the EM dispersion curve in the direction of the plasma drift of a FDTD Maxwell solver by using a customized higher order finite difference operator for the spatial derivative along the direction of the drift (1ˆ direction). We show that this eliminates the main NCI modes with moderate |k₁|, while keeps additional main NCI modes well outside the range of physical interest with higher |k₁|. These main NCI modes can be easily filtered out along with first spatial aliasing NCI modes which are also at the edge of the fundamental Brillouin zone. The customized solver has the possible advantage of improved parallel scalability because it can be easily partitioned along 1ˆ which typically has many more cells than other directions for the problems of interest. We show that FFTs can be performed locally to current on each partition to filter out the main and first spatial aliasing NCI modes, and to correct the current so that it satisfies the continuity equation for the customized spatial derivative. This ensures that Gauss’ Law is satisfied. Lastly, we present simulation examples of one relativistically drifting plasma, of two colliding relativistically drifting plasmas, and of nonlinear laser wakefield acceleration (LWFA) in a Lorentz boosted frame that show no evidence of the NCI can be observed when using this customized Maxwell solver together with its NCI elimination scheme.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0014260; SC0010064; SC0008316; AC02-76SF00515

OSTI ID:: 1352201

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1398307

Journal Information:: Computer Physics Communications, Journal Name: Computer Physics Communications Journal Issue: C Vol. 214; ISSN 0010-4655

Publisher:: ElsevierCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Multi-scale simulations of particle acceleration in astrophysical systems Marcowith, Alexandre; Ferrand, Gilles; Grech, Mickael Living Reviews in Computational Astrophysics, Vol. 6, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1007/s41115-020-0007-6	journal	March 2020
A new field solver for modeling of relativistic particle-laser interactions using the particle-in-cell algorithm Li, Fei; Miller, Kyle G.; Xu, Xinlu arXiv https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2004.03754	text	January 2020
Accurate modeling of plasma acceleration with arbitrary order pseudo-spectral particle-in-cell methods Jalas, S.; Dornmair, I.; Lehe, R. Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 24, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4978569	journal	March 2017
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