A method for solving Poisson's equation in geophysical and astrophysical plasmas
Abstract
The quasi-neutrality (QN) equation is usually solved by an iterature procedure to obtain the electrostatic potential distribution in plasmas. This paper presents a new numerical method to obtain the same result more efficiently. The method is based on the numerical integration of the differential form of the QN equation. In the case when the QN approximation fails to be a valid approximation of Poisson's equation (PE), the latter equation needs to be solved. A robust numerical method to solve PE, with boundary conditions at two different altitudes, has also been proposed. This method consists in integrating numerically by the quadrature discretization method a differential form of PE. For boundary conditions corresponding to the QN solution, the result coincides with the QN solution.
- Publication:
-
Rarefied Gas Dynamics
- Pub Date:
- 1991
- Bibcode:
- 1991rgd..proc..417L
- Keywords:
-
- Cosmic Plasma;
- Earth Ionosphere;
- Electrostatics;
- Plasma Potentials;
- Poisson Equation;
- Boundary Conditions;
- Ion Density (Concentration);
- Iterative Solution;
- Numerical Integration;
- Plasma Physics