Aspherical PIC code (APIC) for modeling non-spherical dust in plasmas using shape-conforming coordinates

TL;DR

The paper introduces a 2D3V Aspherical Particle-in-Cell (APIC) code designed to simulate the complex interactions of non-spherical dust grains with plasmas, capturing charge transfer, forces, and energy exchanges for diverse applications.

Contribution

This work presents a novel simulation code that models non-spherical dust in plasmas using shape-conforming coordinates, enabling detailed analysis of dust-plasma interactions.

Findings

Simulates charge transfer and forces on non-spherical dust grains.

Provides physical parameters for various dust shapes in plasma.

Applicable to dusty plasmas, fusion, and astrophysics.

Abstract

The 2D3V Aspherical Particle-in-Cell (APIC) code is developed for modeling of interactions of non-spherical dust grains with plasmas. It simulates the motion of plasma electrons and ions in a self-consistent electric field of plasma-screened charged dust particle. Due to absorption/recombination of plasma particles impinging on the grain surface, they transfer charge, momentum, angular momentum, as well as kinetic and binding energy, creating currents, forces, torques, and heat fluxes to the grain. The values of such physical parameters determine dust behavior in plasma, including its dynamics and ablation, and can be used in various plasma studies and applications, such as dusty plasmas, fusion devices, laboratory experiments, and astrophysical research. Obtaining these physical values for select non-spherical shapes of conducting dust grains is the main goal of the APIC code simulations.