Discrete Particle Noise in Particle-in-Cell Simulations of Plasma Microturbulence

Nevins, W M; Dimits, A; Hammett, G

doi:10.1063/1.2118729

Title: Discrete Particle Noise in Particle-in-Cell Simulations of Plasma Microturbulence

Journal Article · Tue May 24 00:00:00 EDT 2005 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2118729· OSTI ID:878221

Nevins, W M; Dimits, A; Hammett, G

Recent gyrokinetic simulations of electron temperature gradient (ETG) turbulence with flux-tube continuum codes vs. the global particle-in-cell (PIC) code GTC yielded different results despite similar plasma parameters. Differences between the simulations results were attributed to insufficient phase-space resolution and novel physics associated with toroidicity and/or global simulations. We have reproduced the results of the global PIC code using the flux-tube PIC code PG3EQ, thereby eliminating global effects as the cause of the discrepancy. We show that the late-time decay of ETG turbulence and the steady-state heat transport observed in these PIC simulations results from discrete particle noise. Discrete particle noise is a numerical artifact, so both these PG3EQ simulations and the previous GTC simulations have nothing to say about steady-state ETG turbulence and the associated anomalous heat transport. In the course of this work we develop three diagnostics which can help to determine if a particular PIC simulation has become dominated by discrete particle noise.

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Research Organization:: Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE

DOE Contract Number:: W-7405-ENG-48

OSTI ID:: 878221

Report Number(s):: UCRL-JRNL-212536; PHPAEN; TRN: US0602295

Journal Information:: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 12, Issue 12; ISSN 1070-664X

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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