Wave dispersion in the hybrid-Vlasov model: Verification of Vlasiator
Physics of Plasmas, 20 (11):
112114 (November 2013)DOI: 10.1063/1.4835315
Zusammenfassung
Vlasiator is a new hybrid-Vlasov plasma simulation code aimed at simulating the entire magnetosphere of the Earth. The code treats ions (protons) kinetically through Vlasov's equation in the six-dimensional phase space while electrons are a massless charge-neutralizing fluid M. Palmroth et al., J. Atmos. Sol.-Terr. Phys. 99, 41 (2013); A. Sandroos et al., Parallel Comput. 39, 306 (2013). For first global simulations of the magnetosphere, it is critical to verify and validate the model by established methods. Here, as part of the verification of Vlasiator, we characterize the low-β plasma wave modes described by this model and compare with the solution computed by the Waves in Homogeneous, Anisotropic Multicomponent Plasmas (WHAMP) code K. Rönnmark, Kiruna Geophysical Institute Reports No. 179, 1982, using dispersion curves and surfaces produced with both programs. The match between the two fundamentally different approaches is excellent in the low-frequency, long wavelength range which is of interest ...