A time-implicit Monte Carlo collision algorithm for particle-in-cell electron transport models (Q1073561)

A time-implicit Monte Carlo collision algorithm has been developed to allow particle-in-cell electron transport models to be applied to arbitrarily collisional systems. The algorithm is formulated for electrons moving in response to electric and magnetic accelerations and subject to collisional drag and scattering due to a background plasma. The correct fluid or streaming transport results are obtained in the respective limits of strongly or weakly collisional systems, and reasonable behavior is produced even for time-steps greatly exceeding the magnetic-gyration and collisional-scattering times.