An efficient solution of the multi-term multi-harmonic electron Boltzmann equation for use in global models

JE Lynch, TR Sippel, S Subramaniam - Computer Physics Communications, 2024 - Elsevier
Computer Physics Communications, 2024Elsevier
Solving the electron Boltzmann equation is an essential but costly step in simulating low-
temperature plasma kinetics. This work addresses the problem by introducing a solution of
the general multi-term multi-harmonic Boltzmann equation (MTMH-BE) optimized for
electrons in time-dependent non-equilibrium gases and electric fields. This is accomplished
by configuring the numerical Jacobian as the product of a time-independent sparse matrix
and an array of time-dependent coefficients. As this approach requires a fixed energy grid …
Abstract
Solving the electron Boltzmann equation is an essential but costly step in simulating low-temperature plasma kinetics. This work addresses the problem by introducing a solution of the general multi-term multi-harmonic Boltzmann equation (MTMH-BE) optimized for electrons in time-dependent non-equilibrium gases and electric fields. This is accomplished by configuring the numerical Jacobian as the product of a time-independent sparse matrix and an array of time-dependent coefficients. As this approach requires a fixed energy grid, the MTMH-BE is discretized using a finite volume scheme with support for non-uniform cell size, enabling robust solutions across a wide range of reduced field strengths. The new MTMH-BE solver is tested against a range of benchmarks, demonstrating excellent agreement with existing methods. Performance with time-dependent electron energy is evaluated using LoKI-B's pulsed electric field model, with the new solver demonstrating improved wall time scaling and an improvement in grid convergence of over three orders of magnitude. Alternatively, performance with quasi-stationary electrons in an evolving non-equilibrium gas is tested using a nitrogen cross-section set with up to 58 vibrational states and 3,570 processes. Here, the MTMH-BE solver achieves a wall time reduction of up to 99.6% over MultiBolt for error-controlled simulations in the two-term limit, reducing the average solution time from 1-2 seconds to less than 10 ms. These results indicate that the new MTMH-BE solver can improve accuracy and performance in state-to-state global models without the use of grid refinement, cross-section pruning, and other time-saving procedures.
Elsevier
Showing the best result for this search. See all results