Field-aligned semi-Lagrangian methods for turbulence simulations of strongly magnetized plasmas

摘要

Plasma turbulence in strongly magnetized plasmas is characterized by long wavelengths along the magnetic field, of the order of the system size, and by short perpendicular wavelengths, of the order of the ion gyro-radius. This strong anisotropy suggests the use of field-aligned coordinates in order to drastically reduce the number of grid points along a certain direction (usually parallel to the field).