PPPS-2013: Accommodating large temporal, spatial, and particle weighting demands for simulating vacuum ARC discharge

Author

Hopkins, Matthew M. ; Boerner, Jeremiah J. ; Moore, Chris H. ; Crozier, Paul S. ; Campbell, Robert B. ; Musson, Lawrence C. ; Bettencourt, Matthew T.

Author_Institution

Sandia Nat. Labs., Albuquerque, NM, USA

fYear

2013

Firstpage

1

Lastpage

1

Abstract

Summary form only given. We have developed novel modeling approaches for simulation breakdown of vacuum arcs. Initiating an arc in vacuum spans many orders of magnitude in temporal and spatial scales, and number densities. We have developed specific approaches for each of these challenges-some more tested than others. These approaches are implemented in Aleph, a massively parallel 3D unstructured mesh electrostatic PIC-DSMC code. Aleph includes dynamic load balancing, volume chemistry (elastic collisions, charge exchange, ionization, etc.), and a variety of surface mechanisms. Our tool chain allows us to use conformal meshes to CAD geometry, a requirement for production use.

Keywords

chemical exchanges; ionisation; mesh generation; parallel programming; physics computing; plasma chemistry; plasma density; plasma simulation; vacuum arcs; vacuum breakdown; Aleph; CAD geometry; breakdown simulation; charge exchange; conformal meshes; dynamic load balancing; dynamic particle weighting; elastic collisions; ionization; magnitude orders; massively parallel 3D unstructured mesh electrostatic PIC-DSMC code; modeling approach; number densities; pre-breakdown regimes; spatial scaling; surface mechanisms; temporal scaling; vacuum arc discharge simulation; volume chemistry; Arc discharges; Geometry; Laboratories; Solid modeling; Three-dimensional displays; Vacuum arcs;

fLanguage

English

Publisher

ieee

Conference_Titel

Plasma Science (ICOPS), 2013 Abstracts IEEE International Conference on

Conference_Location

San Francisco, CA

ISSN

0730-9244

Type

conf

DOI

10.1109/PLASMA.2013.6635215

Filename

6635215