Paul Nizenkov, Asim Mirza, Stephen Copplestone, boltzplatz - numerical plasma dynamics GmbH, Stuttgart, Germany
Simulating technical plasmas or highly diluted gases in vacuum chambers poses a formidable challenge due to the high complexity of processes such as electron kinetics or strong non-equilibrium effects. Gas kinetic approaches, where the medium is described not as a continuum but as a stream of particles such as atoms, ions, and electrons, are often employed in modeling to address these challenges.
This talk introduces PICLas, an open-source simulation tool originally developed for space exploration and now applied in various technical applications for simulating plasma processes. PICLas is grounded in gas kinetic approaches, utilizing particle methods like Particle in Cell (PIC) and Direct Simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC). A unique feature is the modular structure of PICLas, allowing the freely available software to be used as either a pure DSMC or pure PIC solver. Exciting possibilities arise when these methods are combined, such as simulating collisional plasmas.
The development of an intelligent graphical user interface aims to make this complex modeling more accessible to technical developers. For this purpose, modern web-based technologies are utilized, leveraging other open-source projects for a cost-effective development. It shall be demonstrated how these technologies can be combined with PICLas to accelerate the pre-processing, simulation setup and post-processing of numerical simulation projects. Additionally, the talk presents PICLas as an innovative simulation tool and illustrates, through selected examples in thin-film technology, how PICLas actively contributes to driving innovations in this industry, making a significant contribution to digitalization.