A Study on Particle Trajectory Error in Finite-Element Particle-in-Cell Algorithms

Saleh, Haitham H.; Teixeira, Fernando L.

doi:10.1109/tps.2024.3388369

Title: A Study on Particle Trajectory Error in Finite-Element Particle-in-Cell Algorithms

Journal Article · 23 April 2024 · IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1109/tps.2024.3388369 · OSTI ID:2349429

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The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (United States); The Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (United States)

Particle-in-cell (PIC) algorithms are widely used for the simulation of kinetic plasmas. PIC algorithms account for the interaction between charged particles in a plasma and the electromagnetic field in ambient space, including self-field interactions. The objective of this article is to study the error in charged particle trajectories present in finite-element (FE)-based PIC algorithms on unstructured meshes. We study how the trajectory error behaves according to the FE mesh resolution and the matrix solver employed in the FE algorithm. The study is performed by considering a trajectory established by a parabolic electric potential and an axial magnetic force acting on the charged particle. Under a proper choice combination of electric and magnetic field parameters, the 2-D particle trajectories comprise closed orbits. Numerical errors cause small perturbations on the trajectories, with cumulative effects. As a result, the resulting orbital trajectories exhibit distortions including spurious apsidal precession. These distortions provide a clear imprint of the numerical error. Here, we also study the numerical error in a quantitative fashion by computing the distance norm between the trajectories obtained by the exact fields and numerical fields.

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Research Organization:: The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0022982

OSTI ID:: 2349429

Journal Information:: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science, Journal Name: IEEE Transactions on Plasma Science Journal Issue: 4 Vol. 52; ISSN 0093-3813

Publisher:: IEEECopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
Finite element (FE)
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sparse approximate inverse (SPAI)
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Title: A Study on Particle Trajectory Error in Finite-Element Particle-in-Cell Algorithms

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