Canonical momentum based numerical schemes for hybrid plasma models with kinetic ions and massless electrons

Abstract

We study the canonical momentum based discretizations of a hybrid model with kinetic ions and mass-less electrons. Two equivalent formulations of the hybrid model are presented, in which the vector potentials are in different gauges and the distribution functions depend on canonical momentum (not velocity). Particle-in-cell methods are used for the distribution functions, and the vector potentials are discretized by the finite element methods in the framework of finite element exterior calculus. Splitting methods are used for the time discretizations. It is illustrated that the second formulation is numerically superior and the schemes constructed based on the anti-symmetric bracket proposed have better conservation properties, although the filters can be used to improve the schemes of the first formulation.Comment: 24 pages, 8 figure