TAP Plasma Physics Initiative Computational Workshop - Kristopher Klein

TAP Plasma Physics Initiative Computational Workshop

Kristopher Klein, University of Arizona

Two Sessions:  April 12 & 13, 2027

The second session will build on concepts introduced in the first, although participants primarily interested in ALPS may attend the second session independently if they already have familiarity with numerical plasma dispersion relations.

Title:  Numerical Plasma Dispersion Relations: Hands-on Tutorials with PLUME and ALPS

Abstract / Overview

Linear plasma theory provides a powerful framework for determining the waves and instabilities supported by a plasma, including their frequencies, damping or growth rates, polarization, and interactions with di^erent particle species. Obtaining these quantities for realistic plasma conditions generally requires numerical solution of the Vlasov–Maxwell dispersion relation.

The first session introduces PLUME (Plasma in a Linear Uniform Magnetized Environment), a numerical dispersion solver for plasmas represented by drifting bi-Maxwellian particle distributions. Participants will learn how to specify a plasma equilibrium, identify wave solutions, construct dispersion relations, and interpret their frequencies, damping or growth rates, eigenfunctions, and associated energy transfer.

The second session introduces ALPS (Arbitrary Linear Plasma Solver), which extends this approach to arbitrary gyrotropic velocity distribution functions, including relativistic distributions. Participants will learn how to supply numerical particle distributions, construct dispersion relations, and explore how non-Maxwellian structure modifies the waves and instabilities supported by a plasma.

Together, these sessions are designed to give participants the practical skills needed to use PLUME and ALPS to investigate plasma waves, instabilities, and kinetic effects in their own research.

Learning Objectives:

1. Translate a physical plasma model into the dimensionless representation required by a numerical dispersion solver.

2. Use PLUME to identify plasma-wave solutions for a bi-Maxwellian representation and construct dispersion relations while varying wavevector and plasma parameters.

3. Use ALPS to calculate plasma-wave properties for arbitrary gyrotropic velocity distribution unctions and understand the additional numerical considerations involved.

4. Interpret numerical outputs, e.g. wave frequency, growth or damping rate, polarization, igenfunctions, and particle energy transfer, in terms of the underlying plasma physics.

Materials:

PLUME: https://github.com/kgklein/PLUME

Installation: https://kgklein.github.io/PLUME/page/INSTALL.html

Paper: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2515-5172/add1c2

Participants should install PLUME before the workshop and confirm that the example calculations in the repo run successfully. PLUME is written in Fortran and is intended for command-line use on a Unix-like system. Participants should have a working Fortran compiler, make, and the dependencies listed in the repository installation instructions. The workshop materials will provide a short verification command and expected output before the session.

ALPS: https://github.com/danielver02/ALPS 

Installation: https://danielver02.github.io/ALPS/page/INSTALL.html

Papers: https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-plasma-physics/article/alpsthe-arbitrary-linear-plasma-solver/B05A3FFAA8875A37A1BDB128DEB58EA1 https://pubs.aip.org/aip/pop/article/32/9/092104/3361740/The-dielectric-response-ofplasmas-with-arbitrary 

ALPS requires a Unix/Linux or macOS environment, GNU make, a Fortran 90 compiler, MPI, and BLAS/LAPACK. Participants should install ALPS prior to the second session and successfully execute the short supplied test calculation. ALPS is run in parallel using MPI.

Access to UA HPC resources will enable moderate calculations to complete during the session.

Resources: Participants should have a Unix-like computing environment with a Fortran compiler and the required numerical libraries installed. PLUME calculations used in the tutorial are inexpensive and can be run locally. ALPS uses MPI, and most calculations will be deliberately small enough to run using several CPU processes on a typical laptop; cluster CPU allocations would be nice but not necessary (no GPU code).

REGISTRATION REQUIRED:  Deadline April 5, 2027, at 4:00 pm

REGISTER HERE - Coming soon