Particle Subcycling in Pulsed-Power Simulations

Abstract

A particle subcycling algorithm has been developed for and tested in the MAGIC code. The objective is to achieve greater efficiency in pulsed-power simulations. The algorithm performs particle kinematics calculations using a time step which is smaller than the electromagnetic time step, thereby allowing orbit resolution in regions of high magnetic field. In testing this algorithm, an energy nonconserving instability was observed. This instability, named the subcycling cyclotron instability, has been verified analytically. Its immediate effect is to diminish the utility of the particle subcycling algorithm for the intended application.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Sep 30, 1987
Accession Number
ADA198538

Entities

People

  • Bruce Goplen
  • John Brandenburg
  • Richard Worl

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Energy and Power Technologies
  • Space
  • Weapons Technologies

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Algorithms
  • Charge Density
  • Corporations
  • Current Density
  • Cyclotron Waves
  • Electric Fields
  • Electromagnetic Fields
  • Electrons
  • Energy
  • Equations
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Particle Trajectories
  • Power
  • Pulsed Power
  • Simulations
  • Trajectories

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Finite Element Method (FEM) for solving Partial Differential Equations (PDEs)
  • Plasma Physics / Magnetohydrodynamics

Technology Areas

  • Space
  • Space - Hall-Effect Thruster