Hybrid Two-Dimensional Electron Transport in Self-Consistent Electromagnetic Fields

The paper outlines features of the implicit hybrid simulation code ANTHEM, which uniquely provides histories for the transport and deposition of suprathermal and thermal electrons in laserproduced plasmas. The code models two-dimensional electron transport through steep density gradients and across contiguous collisional and collisionless target regions with the plasma dynamics dominated by self-consistent E and B fields. ANTHEM employs separate Eulerian fluid ion and thermal electron treatments and models suprathermal electrons as either a third fluid or as a set of collisional particle-in-cell (PIC) particles. We outline new techniques required to obtain implicit electromagnetic fields in two spatial dimensions permitting time steps well in excess of the local plasma period. A new implicit scattering model is discussed. The utility of our approach is demonstrated with sample applications to collisional surface transport on foil targets.