Advanced Modeling & Simulation (M&S) of Complex Non-Equilibrium Plasma Flows for Microsatellite Propulsion

It is proposed to develop a software library to support the modeling of plasmas by hybrid methods. The library will be constructed using advanced Object-Oriented (OO) programming methods, and will be available in Java and C++. The software would betailored to the construction of codes for the numerical modeling of physically complex plasma configurations far from equilibrium. Such discharges require the simultaneous solution of several components, each with a different numerical method. For example,a bulk plasma may be described by a fluid, while high-energy particles must be treated by Particle-In-Cell (PIC) and Monte-Carlo methods. Material properties are also important for current emission, phase change (evaporation/ablation), conductivity, etc.Alternative or complementary approaches may include Vlasov, Fokker-Planck and Boltzmann equation solvers. The optimal approach to the modeling of a specific plasma discharge requires that the code be tailored to that problem. Therefore, there is nogeneral-purpose code that can solve all possible scenarios and configurations, without being extremely large and unmanageable. The approach proposed here consists of providing the building blocks, and let the user choose the appropriate ones and assemblethem for the problem at hand. This innovative approach allows maximal flexibility and requires low maintenance. The proposed software can be used for the solution of complex physical problems involving non-equilibrium plasma discharges. These are found in various areas of material manufacturing and treatment, which have a large commercial market. Additionalapplications are found in aerospace applications, such as electric propulsion, or advanced power generation and weapons.