Resolving velocity space dynamics in continuum gyrokinetics

Barnes, M.; Dorland, W.; Tatsuno, T.

doi:doi:10.1063/1.3313348

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Many plasmas of interest to the astrophysical and fusion communities are weakly collisional. In such plasmas, small scales can develop in the distribution of particle velocities, potentially affecting observable quantities such as turbulent fluxes. Consequently, it is necessary to monitor velocity space resolution in gyrokinetic simulations. In this paper, we present a set of computationally efficient diagnostics for measuring velocity space resolution in gyrokinetic simulations and apply them to a range of plasma physics phenomena using the continuum gyrokinetic code GS2. For the cases considered here, it is found that the use of a collisionality at or below experimental values allows for the resolution of plasma dynamics with relatively few velocity space grid points. Additionally, we describe the implementation of an adaptive collision frequency, which can be used to improve velocity space resolution in the collisionless regime, where results are expected to be independent of collision frequency.

Article Outline

INTRODUCTION
GYROKINETIC VELOCITY SPACE DYNAMICS
GS2 VELOCITY SPACE
1. Velocity space coordinates
  1. Energy grid
  2. Lambda grid
2. Velocity space dissipation
  1. Model collision operator
  2. Numerical dissipation
VELOCITY SPACE RESOLUTION DIAGNOSTICS
1. Integral error estimates
  1. General description of the scheme
  2. Implementation in GS2
2. Spectral method
  1. Application of error diagnostics
ADAPTIVE COLLISION FREQUENCY
SUMMARY

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KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

plasma collision processes, plasma diagnostics, plasma kinetic theory, plasma simulation, plasma turbulence

PACS

52.35.Bj

Magnetohydrodynamic waves (e.g., Alfven waves)
52.65.−y
52.65.Tt

Gyrofluid and gyrokinetic simulations

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier

http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.3313348

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

1070-664X (print)

1089-7674 (online)

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef

American Institute of Physics

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