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Verification of particle-in-cell simulations with Monte Carlo collisions

Turner, Miles M. orcid logoORCID: 0000-0001-9713-6198 (2016) Verification of particle-in-cell simulations with Monte Carlo collisions. Plasma Sources Science and Technology, 25 (5). 054007. ISSN 0963-0252

Abstract
Widespread recent interest in techniques for demonstrating that computer simulation programs are correct ('verification') has been motivated by evidence that traditional development and testing procedures are disturbingly ineffective. Reproducing an exact solution of the relevant model equations is generally accepted as the strongest available verification procedure, but this technique depends on the availability of suitable exact solutions. In this paper we consider verification of a particle-in-cell simulation with Monte Carlo collisions. We know of no exact solutions that simultaneously exercise all of the functions of this code. However, we show here that there can be found in the literature a number of non-trivial exact solutions, each of which exercises a substantial subset of these functions, and which in combination exercise all of the functions of the code. That the code is able to reproduce these solutions is correctness evidence of a stronger kind than has hitherto been elucidated.
Metadata
Item Type:Article (Published)
Refereed:Yes
Additional Information:The author's attention was drawn to the usefulness of the plane diode problem by Keith Cartwright of Sandia National Laboratories, who also derived the form of the solution quoted in the text above.
Subjects:Physical Sciences > Plasmas
Computer Science > Computer simulation
DCU Faculties and Centres:Research Institutes and Centres > National Centre for Plasma Science and Technology (NCPST)
DCU Faculties and Schools > Faculty of Science and Health > School of Physical Sciences
Publisher:Institute of Physics
Official URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/0963-0252/25/5/054007
Copyright Information:© 2016 IOP Publishing Ltd
Use License:This item is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 3.0 License. View License
ID Code:21805
Deposited On:18 May 2017 10:39 by Miles Turner . Last Modified 24 Jan 2019 11:43
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