Linear delta-f simulations of nonlocal electron heat transport

Abstract

Nonlocal electron heat transport calculations are carried out by making use of some of the techniques developed previously for extending the of method to transport time scale simulations [S. Brunner, E. Valeo, and J. Krommes, Phys. Plasmas 6, 4504 (1999)]. By considering the relaxation of small amplitude temperature perturbations of an homogeneous Maxwellian background, only the linearized Fokker-Planck equation has to be solved, and direct comparisons can be made with the equivalent, nonlocal hydrodynamic approach [V. Yu. Bychenkov et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 75, 4405 (1995)]. A quasineutrality-conserving algorithm is derived for computing the self-consistent electric fields driving the return currents. In the low-collisionality regime, results illustrate the importance of taking account of nonlocality in both space and time. © 2000 American Institute of Physics.