| |
 |
| Paper: |
Different Choices of the Form Factor in Particle-in-Cell Simulations |
| Volume: |
474, Numerical Modeling of Space Plasma Flows (ASTRONUM2012) |
| Page: |
208 |
| Authors: |
Kilian, P.; Ganse, U.; Spanier, F. |
| Abstract: |
Numerical simulations have proven a valuable tool to study plasma behavior,
especially for conditions in astrophysical scenarios and which are not readily
accessible under laboratory conditions. Whenever single particle behavior
becomes important or the development of non-thermal components is of interest
fluid descriptions have to be replaced by more accurate but also more expensive
kinetic descriptions. A very popular such method is the Particle-in-Cell
method. Conceptually this method combines the integration of motion if
individual elementary particles with field quantities that are restricted to a
spatial grid. Both the analytic derivation of the method as well as the
computational feasibility require the use of phase space samples instead of the
more readily envisioned individual elementary particles. Each macroparticle
represents an ensemble of particles of one species that are close to each other
in phase space and carries the total charge and mass of the ensemble. Unlike
the elementary particles the macroparticle does not necessarily have a
vanishing spatial extent. Different choices of the form factor, that is spatial
distribution of the particle quantities within the macroparticle, are
investigated. Included are the standard choices NGP, CIC and TSC as well as new
schemes of higher order. |
|
|
|
|
|
