PPPL-3798 is available in pdf format (721 KB).

Numerical Loading of a Maxwellian Probability Distribution Function

Authors: J.L.V. Lewandowski

Date of PPPL Report: March 2003

Published in: Canadian Journal of Physics 81 (August 2003) 989-996.

A renormalization procedure for the numerical loading of a Maxwellian probablity dis- tribution function (PDF) is formulated. The procedure, which involves the solution of three coupled nonlinear equations, yields a numerically loaded PDF with improved properties for higher velocity moments. This method is particularly useful for low-noise particle-in-cell simulations with electron dynamics.