IONPACK: Ionization Package for Intense Lasers and Plasma Physics Codes

70731 Within high energy physics, the laser, plasma accelerator, and plasma processing communities have a need for simulating ionization events caused by such different effects as tunneling, impact, and above-threshold ionization. This project will develop a generic, extendable, and interoperable software package for simulating these ionization processes. The software will be used easily with existing Particles-In-Cell, hydrodynamic, and other plasma simulation codes. The package will be designed with a generic interface to support the extension to different types of atoms and will be used in combination with particle-in-cell codes for simulating plasma accelerator experiments. Phase I will develop algorithms for impact, tunneling, and above- threshold ionization. A stand-alone library of generic, interoperable code will be provided for impact and tunneling ionization. A prototype of the library will be demonstrated for use with the Object-Oriented Particle-In-Cell (OOPIC) code for simulations of laser frequency blue shifting. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: The ionization package should have application to the plasma processing industry. The code will be essential for simulating ionization events in plasma display panels and in plasma accelerators.