A radiation transport coupled particle-in-cell simulation. I. Description of the model

A one-dimensional radiation transport model is coupled with a particle-in-c ell simulation in order to incorporate the resonance trapping effect of pho tons and the kinetic effect of plasma in fluorescent-lamp-like discharges. Electrons and ions are treated with the conventional particle-in-cell metho d, and neutral species such as ground, radiative, and metastable state atom s are treated with a fluid model combined with the Holstein-Biberman equati on. Also included are the atomic collisions among neutral species and the e ffect of nonuniform ground state density on photon transport. The general s cheme of the model and the numerical methods for Doppler and pressure line broadenings are described in a one-dimensional planar model for the nonunif orm ground-state density. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.