Computational model for dynamic detailed atomic kinetics simulations of swift ion beams colliding with high-energy density plasma targets

Abstract

A theoretical-computational model for one dimensional (1D) spatial resolution, dynamic atomic kinetic simulations of the interaction of swift ion beams with plasmas, is presented. This model is based on solving a set of rate equations implemented in a collisional-radiative model that couples the atomic kinetics of the target plasma and the ion beam. The fundamental atomic processes that occur in the interaction are included. Homogeneous and non-homogeneous plasmas, both single-component and multi-component, can be modeled for optically thin and thick situations. A detailed atomic description is considered in the rate equations for both the beam ions and the plasma. This allows obtaining spatially resolved populations of the atomic levels of the different ions and generating spatially resolved synthetic emission spectra of the beam ions, which could be used to characterize their charge states as they pass through the plasma. In this work, we have focused on presenting the developed model and studying its accuracy by comparing the results obtained with experimental data and numerical simulations for different situations of interest in the beam-plasma interaction.