Particle-in-cell charged-particle simulations, plus Monte Carlocollisions with neutral atoms, PIC-MCC
Birdsall, C.K.
Plasma Science, IEEE Transactions on
Volume 19, Issue 2, Apr 1991 Page(s):65 - 85
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/27.106800
Summary:Many-particle charged-particle plasma simulations using spatial
meshes for the electromagnetic field solutions, particle-in-cell (PIC)
merged with Monte Carlo collision (MCC) calculations, are coming into
wide use for application to partially ionized gases. The author
emphasizes the development of PIC computer experiments since the 1950s
starting with one-dimensional (1-D) charged-sheet models, the addition
of the mesh, and fast direct Poisson equation solvers for 2-D and 3-D.
Details are provided for adding the collisions between the charged
particles and neutral atoms. The result is many-particle simulations
with many of the features met in low-temperature collision plasmas; for
example, with applications to plasma-assisted materials processing, but
also related to warmer plasmas at the edges of magnetized fusion plasmas
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