Building a hybrid code for modelling plasma processes in the magnetosphere
Abstract
Here we want to present a new hybrid code CHIEF (Code Hybrid withInertial Electron Fluid) that we have recently implemented. It combinesan existing, well tested electron-magnetohydrodynamic (EMHD) code withan existing, well tested, state-of-the-art particle in cell (PiC) code.It simulates arbitrary kinetic ion species using a semi-lagrangianapproach and describes the electrons as an inertial fluid. The fluiddescription uses no approximations for the electron contributions otherthan an equation of state relating electron pressure and temperature.Effects due to electron inertia or changes in ion flow speed or densityin space and time are not neglected as in many other existing hybridcodes. Electromagnetic fields are calculated in the radiation-free limitwhich allows time steps that are sufficiently long to study effects onion time scales even for heavy ions. The code has been successfullytested on a large number of test problems involving linear andnon-linear plasma waves as well as instabilities that are driven bynon-equilibrium ion velocity distributions. The code is particularlysuited for the study of collisionless shocks - especially theacceleration of heavy ions which is computationally expensive inPiC codes - as well as collisionless magnetic reconnection and kineticturbulence on scales above the electron dissipation range.
- Publication:
-
42nd COSPAR Scientific Assembly
- Pub Date:
- July 2018
- Bibcode:
- 2018cosp...42E1753K