Towards hybrid kinetic/drift-kinetic simulations in 6d Vlasov codes
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arXiv
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| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Preprint |
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2026
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| _version_ | 1866911618509570048 |
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| author | Pelkner, M. Hallatschek, K. Raeth, M. |
| author_facet | Pelkner, M. Hallatschek, K. Raeth, M. |
| contents | Simulating fully kinetic, two-species plasmas is computationally challenging due to the stiff multiscale dynamics of electrons and ions. While enforcing a quasi-neutral time evolution mitigates this stiffness, it requires an electric potential that consistently maintains this constraint. In this work, we present an implicit approach to determine this electric field self-consistently within the semi-Lagrangian, fully kinetic BSL6D code. We employ a hybrid two-species model that couples kinetic ions with massless, drift-kinetic electrons, enabling an implicit treatment of the latter. Notably, the model captures the generation of ion-scale zonal flows. Beyond the algorithmic description, we provide a proof of second-order time-splitting error convergence under specific regularity assumptions. A key feature of our approach is an error-balancing mechanism: we demonstrate that the field solver achieves the required accuracy of the electric field by automatically adjusting the error of certain moments of the distribution function. Furthermore, we provide a comprehensive analysis of semi-Lagrangian interpolation errors to ensure robustness against the steep density and temperature gradients characteristic of tokamak edge plasmas. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_21708 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | Towards hybrid kinetic/drift-kinetic simulations in 6d Vlasov codes Pelkner, M. Hallatschek, K. Raeth, M. Plasma Physics Simulating fully kinetic, two-species plasmas is computationally challenging due to the stiff multiscale dynamics of electrons and ions. While enforcing a quasi-neutral time evolution mitigates this stiffness, it requires an electric potential that consistently maintains this constraint. In this work, we present an implicit approach to determine this electric field self-consistently within the semi-Lagrangian, fully kinetic BSL6D code. We employ a hybrid two-species model that couples kinetic ions with massless, drift-kinetic electrons, enabling an implicit treatment of the latter. Notably, the model captures the generation of ion-scale zonal flows. Beyond the algorithmic description, we provide a proof of second-order time-splitting error convergence under specific regularity assumptions. A key feature of our approach is an error-balancing mechanism: we demonstrate that the field solver achieves the required accuracy of the electric field by automatically adjusting the error of certain moments of the distribution function. Furthermore, we provide a comprehensive analysis of semi-Lagrangian interpolation errors to ensure robustness against the steep density and temperature gradients characteristic of tokamak edge plasmas. |
| title | Towards hybrid kinetic/drift-kinetic simulations in 6d Vlasov codes |
| topic | Plasma Physics |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.21708 |