Neoclassical physics in full distribution function gyrokinetics

Guilhem Dif-Pradalier (1) , P H Diamond (1) , Virginie Grandgirard (2) , Yanick Sarazin (2) , J Abiteboul (2) , Xavier Garbet (2) , Philippe Ghendrih (2) , Guillaume Latu (2) , A. Strugarek (2) , S Ku (3) , C S Chang (3)

1 CASS - Center for Astrophysics and Space Sciences [La Jolla]
2 IRFM - Institut de Recherche sur la Fusion par confinement Magnétique
3 CIMS - Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences [New York]

Treatment of binary Coulomb collisions when the full gyrokinetic distribution function is evolved is discussed here. A spectrum of different collision operators is presented, differing through both the physics that can be addressed and the numerics they are based on. Eulerian-like (semi-Lagrangian) and particle in cell (PIC) (Monte-Carlo) schemes are successfully cross-compared, and a detailed confrontation to neoclassical theory is shown.

Domains: Nonlinear Sciences [physics]; Plasma Physics [physics.plasm-ph]

Guilhem Dif-Pradalier, P H Diamond, Virginie Grandgirard, Yanick Sarazin, J Abiteboul, et al.. Neoclassical physics in full distribution function gyrokinetics. Physics of Plasmas, 2011, 18, pp.62309. ⟨10.1063/1.3592652⟩. ⟨cea-01468378⟩