Numerical solutions of the Fokker-Planck charged particle transport equation

Thesis/Dissertation · Wed Dec 31 23:00:00 EST 1980

OSTI ID:5981519

Andrade, A

In this work, two numerical methods are developed to solve the Fokker-Planck charged particle transport equation by simple and efficient means, and without approximation to the collision term. The first of these methods demonstrates that the kinetic transport equation can be integrated to yield the time dependent distribution function of test particles f/sub a/(r,v,t) in a fully implicit manner by a combination of S/sub n/ methodology with a matrix factorization technique. The second technique that is developed is an implicit Monte Carlo method which is suitable for transport problems in field-free and externally magnetized plasmas. Here the transport of test particles in background Maxwellian plasmas is based on probabilities derivable from the FP equation, such as the expected time for deflection and the expected time of energy exchange. It is shown that this technique is comparable in efficiency to the first method discussed above since large samples of particles are not necessary because self-consistent fields are not calculated. This technique is illustrated by again calculating the energy deposited by fast ions to a background plasma.

• Research Organization: Michigan Univ., Ann Arbor (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5981519
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

654001* -- Radiation & Shielding Physics-- Radiation Physics
Shielding Calculations & Experiments
73 NUCLEAR PHYSICS AND RADIATION PHYSICS
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHARGED-PARTICLE TRANSPORT
DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
EQUATIONS
FOKKER-PLANCK EQUATION
IONS
NUMERICAL SOLUTION
PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS
PLASMA
RADIATION TRANSPORT