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| Paper: |
A Numerical Method to Determine the Particle Velocity Distribution Functions in Space |
| Volume: |
444, 5th International Conference of Numerical Modeling of Space Plasma Flows (ASTRONUM 2010) |
| Page: |
166 |
| Authors: |
Pierrard, V. |
| Abstract: |
In space plasmas and gas, the kinetic approach requires to find the solution of the Fokker–Planck and Boltzmann equations to determine the velocity distribution function (VDF) of the particles. A spectral method of expansion of the solution in orthogonal polynomials has been developed to solve these equations. This discrete ordinate method is especially adapted to find solutions of integral and differential equations. The choice of the polynomials is crucial to obtain a good precision. The calculations of the moments give the macroscopic quantities like the number density, bulk velocity, temperatures and heat flux. Kinetic models based on this method of solution have been developed for planetary exospheres and stellar plasmas, especially the terrestial polar wind and the solar wind. |
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