Particle In Cell (PIC) Simulation of Plasmas

• Model plasma with simulation particles carrying charge, mass, and velocity
  • each represents many ions/electrons

  • equivalently, each represents piece of distribution ; PIC is method to solve kinetic equation for

  • Evolved via Newton's equations
    
    

• Model electromagnetic fields by discretizing spatial domain
  • Evolved via Maxwell's equations (electrostatic shown:)
    
    

• 2D PIC Schematic
  
  

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