Numerical Modeling of Plasmas Using the TurboWAVE Framework

Abstract : The turboWAVE framework is a set of software modules used for simulating a wide range of phenomena involving plasmas. Plasma physics arises in several research areas of interest to the Navy, including ultra-intense laser propagation in air, guided electrical discharges, and advanced accelerators. The approach used to model a plasma can differ greatly from one problem to the next because of the variety of scales, geometries, and physical processes that are important in each case. For example, particle models are useful for accelerators, while fluid models are useful for discharges. In virtually all cases, the need for high performance computing eventually arises. The turboWAVE framework is designed to simulate a variety of physical systems using the massively parallel architectures that are likely to be available in the near term, including those currently provided by the Department of Defense High Performance Computing and Modernization Program (DoD-HPCMP).