Semi-Lagrangian methods for a plasma hybrid model with multi-species kinetic ions and massless electrons
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The structure-preserving semi-Lagrangian methods~\cite{sl} with the improved number of one dimensional advections are proposed for a plasma hybrid model with kinetic ions and mass-less electrons. This hybrid model is widely used in space physics and astrophysics. Two subsystems with mass, momentum, and energy conservation are obtained by a Poisson bracket-based splitting method~\cite{ps}. For the subsystem in which the distribution functions and the fields are coupled, the second order and reversible modified implicit mid-point rule is used in time with the specially designed mean velocity. The distribution functions are not involved in the iterations and are solved by exact splittings~\cite{exact} with only one dimensional advections, which makes the proposed schemes efficient. The cancellation problem is overcome by the numerical schemes constructed. Moreover, for the case with a periodic boundary condition, the magnetic field obtained is divergence free, mass, momentum, and energy are conserved. The methods can be extended to the cases with multiple ion species.
