A grid-based coulomb collision model for PIC codes
- Los Alamos National Lab., NM (United States)
A new method is presented to model the intermediate regime between collisionless and Coulobm collision dominated plasmas in particle-in-cell codes. Collisional processes between particles of different species are treated throuqh the concept of a grid-based {open_quotes}collision field,{close_quotes} which can be particularly efficient for multi-dimensional applications. In this method, particles are scattered using a force which is determined from the moments of the distribution functions accumulated on the grid. The form of the force is such to reproduce themulti-fluid transport equations through the second (energy) moment. Collisions between particles of the same species require a separate treatment. For this, a Monte Carlo-like scattering method based on the Langevin equation is used. The details of both methods are presented, and their implementation in a new hybrid (particle ion, massless fluid electron) algorithm is described. Aspects of the collision model are illustrated through several one- and two-dimensional test problems as well as examples involving laser produced colliding plasmas.
- OSTI ID:
- 191981
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Computational Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Computational Physics Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 123; ISSN 0021-9991; ISSN JCTPAH
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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