Monte-Carlo approach to calculate the ionization of warm dense matter within particle-in-cell simulations

Abstract

A physical model based on a Monte-Carlo approach is proposed to calculate the ionization dynam- ics of warm dense matters (WDM) within particle-in-cell simulations, and where the impact (col- lision) ionization (CI), electron-ion recombination (RE) and ionization potential depression (IPD) by surrounding plasmas are taken into consideration self-consistently. When compared with other models, which are applied in the literature for plasmas near thermal equilibrium, the temporal re- laxation of ionization dynamics can also be simulated by the proposed model. Besides, this model is general and can be applied for both single elements and alloys with quite different composi- tions. The proposed model is implemented into a particle-in-cell (PIC) code, with (final) ionization equilibriums sustained by competitions between CI and its inverse process (i.e., RE). Comparisons between the full model and model without IPD or RE are performed. Our results indicate that for bulk aluminium in the WDM regime, i) the averaged ionization degree increases by including IPD; while ii) the averaged ionization degree is significantly over estimated when the RE is neglected. A direct comparison from the PIC code is made with the existing models for the dependence of averaged ionization degree on thermal equilibrium temperatures, and shows good agreements with that generated from Saha-Boltzmann model or/and FLYCHK code.

7 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (5)

• Quantum-mechanical calculation of ionization potential lowering in dense plasmas
• Coulomb driven energy boost of heavy ions for laser plasma acceleration
• Monte-Carlo approach to calculate the proton stopping in warm dense matter within particle-in-cell simulations
• Suppression of transverse ablative Rayleigh-Taylor-like instability in the hole-boring radiation pressure acceleration by using elliptically polarized laser pulses
• Generation of high-energy monoenergetic heavy ion beams by radiation pressure acceleration of ultra-intense laser pulses

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Monte-Carlo approach to calculate the proton stopping in warm dense matter within particle-in-cell simulations
• Energy coupling in intense laser solid interactions: material properties of gold
• Diagnosis of Fast Electron Transport by Coherent Transition Radiation
• Stopping power of high-density alpha-particle clusters in warm dense deuterium-tritium fuels