Hybrid PIC-fluid model for numerical simulation of laser-plasma interaction

Abstract

A hybrid PIC-fluid model is proposed for three dimensional numerical simulation of laser-plasma interaction. Ions are treated kinetically, electrons as a ten-moment fluid, capturing ion-scale dynamics, pressure anisotropy, and non-Maxwellian distributions efficiently. A laser-envelope model handles energy deposition and ponderomotive heating without resolving optical oscillations. Collisional and ionisation processes ensure self-consistent evolution of energy and charge states. The model is implemented in the AKAM code, providing a scalable framework that bridges fully kinetic and fluid approaches for high-energy-density and laboratory plasma applications.