Development of a 3-Dimensional, Time Accurate Particle Method

for Rarefied Plasma Flows

Dejan Petkow

Markus Fertig

Torsten Stindl

M. Auweter-Kurtz

Institut für Raumfahrtsysteme, Universität Stuttgart, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany

Martin Quandt

C.-D. Munz

Institut für Aerodynamik und Gasdynamik, Universität Stuttgart, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany

S. Roller

Höchstleistungsrechenzentrum, Stuttgart, D-70550 Stuttgart, Germany

D. D’Andrea

R. Schneider

Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institut für Hochleistungsimpuls- und Mikrowellentechnik,

D-76021 Karlsruhe, Germany

Abstract

In order to model the transient plasma flow inside an instationary magnetoplasma-dynamic (IMPD) thruster, also known as pulsed plasma thruster (PPT), a cooperation between IRS (Institute of Space Systems, University of Stuttgart), IAG (Institute for Aerodynamics and Gas Dynamics, University of Stuttgart), HLRS (High Performance Computing Center Stuttgart) and IHM (Institute for Pulsed Power and Microwave Technology, Research Center Karlsruhe) has been formed. Within the project “Modeling and Simulation on High Performance Computers”, which is funded by the Landesstiftung Baden-Württemberg, a scheme for approximately solving the Boltzmann equation for rarefied, non-continuum plasma flows is under development, making use of well known approaches from PIC (Particle in Cell) and DSMC (Direct Simulating Monte Carlo). The current development status will be reported and required computational resources will be estimated.