Optimized Loading for Particle-in-cell Gyrokinetic Simulations
Author: J.L.V. Lewandowski
Date of PPPL Report: May 2004
Published in: Canadian Journal of Physics 82:609-622 (2004)
The problem of particle loading in particle-in-cell gyrokinetic simulations is addressed using a quadratic optimization algorithm. Optimized loading in configuration space dramatically reduces the short wavelength modes in the electrostatic potential that are partly responsible for the non-conservation of total energy; further, the long wavelength modes are resolved with good accuracy. As a result, the conservation of energy for the optimized loading is much better that the conservation of energy for the random loading. The method is valid for any geometry and can be coupled to optimization algorithms in velocity space.