Similarity for downscaled kinetic simulations of electrostatic plasmas: reconciling the large system size with small Debye length

Fuente: arXiv
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Autori principali: Zhang, Yanzeng, Mao, Haotian, Li, Yuzhi, Tang, Xian-Zhu
Natura: Preprint
Pubblicazione: 2025
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author Zhang, Yanzeng
Mao, Haotian
Li, Yuzhi
Tang, Xian-Zhu
author_facet Zhang, Yanzeng
Mao, Haotian
Li, Yuzhi
Tang, Xian-Zhu
contents A simple similarity has been proposed for kinetic (e.g., particle-in-cell) simulations of plasma transport that can effectively address the longstanding challenge of reconciling the tiny Debye length with the vast system size. This applies to both transport in unmagnetized plasma and parallel transport in magnetized plasmas, where the characteristics length scales are given by the Debye length, collisional mean free paths, and the system or gradient lengths. The controlled scaled variables are the configuration space, $\mathbf{x}/\mathscr{L},$ and artificial collisional rates, $\mathscr{L}μ$, which is realized through scaling the Coulomb Logarithm in the simulations, $\mathscr{L}\ln Λ.$ Whereas, the scaled time, $t/\mathscr{L}$, and electric field, $\mathscr{L}\mathbf{E}$, are automatic outcomes. The similarity properties are examined, demonstrating that the macroscopic transport physics is preserved through a similarity transformation while keeping the microscopic physics at its original scale of Debye length. To showcase the utility of this approach, two examples of 1D plasma transport problems were simulated using the VPIC code: the plasma thermal quench in tokamaks [J. Li, et al., Nuclear Fusion \textbf{63}, 066030 (2023)] and the plasma sheath in the high-recycling regime [Y. Li, et al., Physics of Plasmas \textbf{30}, 063505 (2023)].
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2501_14958
institution arXiv
publishDate 2025
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Similarity for downscaled kinetic simulations of electrostatic plasmas: reconciling the large system size with small Debye length
Zhang, Yanzeng
Mao, Haotian
Li, Yuzhi
Tang, Xian-Zhu
Plasma Physics
A simple similarity has been proposed for kinetic (e.g., particle-in-cell) simulations of plasma transport that can effectively address the longstanding challenge of reconciling the tiny Debye length with the vast system size. This applies to both transport in unmagnetized plasma and parallel transport in magnetized plasmas, where the characteristics length scales are given by the Debye length, collisional mean free paths, and the system or gradient lengths. The controlled scaled variables are the configuration space, $\mathbf{x}/\mathscr{L},$ and artificial collisional rates, $\mathscr{L}μ$, which is realized through scaling the Coulomb Logarithm in the simulations, $\mathscr{L}\ln Λ.$ Whereas, the scaled time, $t/\mathscr{L}$, and electric field, $\mathscr{L}\mathbf{E}$, are automatic outcomes. The similarity properties are examined, demonstrating that the macroscopic transport physics is preserved through a similarity transformation while keeping the microscopic physics at its original scale of Debye length. To showcase the utility of this approach, two examples of 1D plasma transport problems were simulated using the VPIC code: the plasma thermal quench in tokamaks [J. Li, et al., Nuclear Fusion \textbf{63}, 066030 (2023)] and the plasma sheath in the high-recycling regime [Y. Li, et al., Physics of Plasmas \textbf{30}, 063505 (2023)].
title Similarity for downscaled kinetic simulations of electrostatic plasmas: reconciling the large system size with small Debye length
topic Plasma Physics
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.14958