A hybrid Boltzmann electrons and PIC ions model for simulating transient state of partially ionized plasma

• Authors: Dixon T. K. Kwok
• Venue: Journal of Computational Physics
• Year: 2008

A robust and stable numerical algorithm is developed for the hybrid method of particle-in-cell ions and Boltzmann distribution of electrons. A different approach to estimate the electron density reference and its proper potential reference is developed to overcome the problems of instability and divergence of previous approaches. The electron density reference is precisely calculated, the tolerance criterion is well-defined, and convergence is guaranteed by applying bi-section golden rule. To increase the rate of convergence, an external loop is incorporated with the bi-section golden rule to vary the brackets. The validity of the method is proved by comparing the simulated result with well-known analytical formula. The simulated sheath potential at a floating wall fit well to the analytic result. The collisionless ion kinetic energy acquired from the voltage difference between the pre-sheath and ion sheath does not violate the Bohm sheath criterion. For work that focuses on the plasma process at the ion sheath and not on the generation of plasma, this method saves simulation time by avoiding time consuming particle or kinetic model of electrons. The new approach reproduces the ion density profile at the ion sheaths region of a plasma with bi-Maxwellian electrons coupling with radio-frequency (RF) signal by introducing two Boltzmann relations to describe the cold and hot thermal electrons for the first time.