Introduction to Simulation Methods for Gas Discharge Plasmas

Book excerpt: Gas discharge plasma is the most common type of low-temperature plasma, with a large number of practical applications covering almost all areas of modern science and technology. This book is an introduction to the numerical modeling methods for gas discharge plasmas. It is intended to assist and direct graduate students and junior researchers, whose research activity deals with computational plasma physics. Topics covered include the essentials of basic modelling approaches (particle, fluid, and hybrid) for gas discharges, and the implementation of these methods with examples of glow (DC and RF) discharges. Numerical studies of nonlinear dynamics and formation of spatio-temporal patterns in gas discharge systems are also presented. Key Features Focuses solely on gas discharge plasmas Covers basic modelling techniques, including particle, fluid, and hybrid Provides details of applications and implementation for the considered methods Special emphasis is given to the applicability and reliability of different modelling techniques Provides specific examples of numerical simulations of the gas discharge plasmas