Multiscale Numerical Methods for Non-Equilibrium Plasma

Abstract : The goal of this research program consisted of developing a high-fidelity modeling capability for non-equilibrium plasma, including detailed collisional-radiative kinetics, and magneto-hydrodynamic physics. Through this research effort, we have successfully implemented and verified single fluid, magneto-hydrodynamic and multi-fluid models. The collisional-radiative kinetics were solved and coupled to the fluid, and a new, high-accuracy model for complexity reduction of the atomic collisional-radiative chemistry was developed and tested. This allows an efficient yet accurate way to model complex and realistic plasma chemistries - involving multiple ion stages and multiple species - coupled to the fluid dynamics. Extensions of the model to allow such time-accurate simulations in multi-dimensional configurations are currently being investigated. Such a capability is a significant step forward in high-fidelity plasma simulations, for various conditions of interest to the Air Force and the DoD, and is made possible by the preliminary R&D conducted under this Laboratory Research Independent Research.