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Vlasov-Fokker-Planck Simulations for High-Power Laser-Plasma Interactions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 August 2015

Su-Ming Weng ,
Zheng-Ming Sheng ,
Hui Xu  and
Jie Zhang
Su-Ming Weng*
Affiliation:
Beijing National Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, CAS, Beijing 100190, China Theoretical Quantum Electronics (TQE), Technische Universität Darmstadt, D-64289 Darmstadt, Germany
Zheng-Ming Sheng*
Affiliation:
Beijing National Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, CAS, Beijing 100190, China Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE) and Department of Physics, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240, China
Hui Xu
Affiliation:
Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Laser Polarization and Information Technology, Department of Physics, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
Jie Zhang
Affiliation:
Beijing National Laboratory of Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, CAS, Beijing 100190, China Key Laboratory for Laser Plasmas (MoE) and Department of Physics, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240, China
*
Email:Su-Ming.Weng@physik.tu-darmstadt.de
Corresponding author.Email:zmsheng@sjtu.edu.cn
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Abstract

A review is presented on our recent Vlasov-Fokker-Planck (VFP) simulation code development and applications for high-power laser-plasma interactions. Numerical schemes are described for solving the kinetic VFP equation with both electron-electron and electron-ion collisions in one-spatial and two-velocity (1D2V) coordinates. They are based on the positive and flux conservation method and the finite volume method, and these two methods can insure the particle number conservation. Our simulation code can deal with problems in high-power laser/beam-plasma interactions, where highly non-Maxwellian electron distribution functions usually develop and the widely-used perturbation theories with the weak anisotropy assumption of the electron distribution function are no longer in point. We present some new results on three typical problems: firstly the plasma current generation in strong direct current electric fields beyond Spitzer-Härm’s transport theory, secondly the inverse bremsstrahlung absorption at high laser intensity beyond Langdon’s theory, and thirdly the heat transport with steep temperature and/or density gradients in laser-produced plasma. Finally, numerical parameters, performance, the particle number conservation, and the energy conservation in these simulations are provided.

Keywords

82D1082C3178M1280A20Vlasov-Fokker-Planck equationelectric conductivityinverse bremsstrahlungnonlocal heat transportpositive and flux conservation methodfinite volume method
Type
Research Article
Information
Communications in Computational Physics , Volume 11 , Issue 4 , April 2012 , pp. 1236 - 1260
Copyright
Copyright © Global Science Press Limited 2012

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