Introduction to Simulation Methods for Gas Discharge Plasmas: Accuracy, reliability and limitations

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

Ismail Rafatov obtained his PhD at the KRSU (Bishkek, Kirghizia) in 1999. Since 2004 he has been working at the Department of Physics of the Middle East Technical University (Ankara, Turkey), and is currently a Professor within this department. His research interests encompass computational plasma physics, nonlinear dynamics and chaos, and nonequilibrium pattern formation.

Anatoly Kudryavtsev received his MS and PhD degrees in physics from the Leningrad State University (currently, Saint Petersburg State University, Russia), in 1976 and 1983, respectively. Since 1982 he has held the positions of junior researcher, senior researcher, and Associate Professor at the Department of Optics of this university. He is an expert in the physics of gas discharge plasma, and has published more than 150 papers and several monographs on the probe technique for plasma diagnostics and the physics of gas discharges.