Graphics processing unit accelerated three-dimensional model for the simulation of pulsed low-temperature plasmas

Journal Article · Mon Dec 15 00:00:00 EST 2014 · Physics of Plasmas

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4903330· OSTI ID:22407949

Fierro, Andrew; Dickens, James; Neuber, Andreas ^[1]

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1. Center for Pulsed Power and Power Electronics, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas 79409 (United States)

A 3-dimensional particle-in-cell/Monte Carlo collision simulation that is fully implemented on a graphics processing unit (GPU) is described and used to determine low-temperature plasma characteristics at high reduced electric field, E/n, in nitrogen gas. Details of implementation on the GPU using the NVIDIA Compute Unified Device Architecture framework are discussed with respect to efficient code execution. The software is capable of tracking around 10 × 10{sup 6} particles with dynamic weighting and a total mesh size larger than 10{sup 8} cells. Verification of the simulation is performed by comparing the electron energy distribution function and plasma transport parameters to known Boltzmann Equation (BE) solvers. Under the assumption of a uniform electric field and neglecting the build-up of positive ion space charge, the simulation agrees well with the BE solvers. The model is utilized to calculate plasma characteristics of a pulsed, parallel plate discharge. A photoionization model provides the simulation with additional electrons after the initial seeded electron density has drifted towards the anode. Comparison of the performance benefits between the GPU-implementation versus a CPU-implementation is considered, and a speed-up factor of 13 for a 3D relaxation Poisson solver is obtained. Furthermore, a factor 60 speed-up is realized for parallelization of the electron processes.

• OSTI ID: 22407949
• Journal Information: Physics of Plasmas, Vol. 21, Issue 12; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 1070-664X
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY
ANODES
BOLTZMANN EQUATION
COLD PLASMA
COMPUTER ARCHITECTURE
COMPUTERIZED SIMULATION
DISTRIBUTION FUNCTIONS
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRON DENSITY
ELECTRONS
ENERGY SPECTRA
MONTE CARLO METHOD
NITROGEN
PHOTOIONIZATION
PLASMA SIMULATION
POISSON EQUATION
PULSES
SPACE CHARGE
THREE-DIMENSIONAL CALCULATIONS