Code Verification of a Warm Electron Diode Using the EMPIRE Plasma Simulation Code.

Abstract

This report documents recent code verification exercises for a warm electron diode problem using the EMPIRE plasma code. This computationally expensive test was performed three times, including two different code versions and two different time integration algorithms, and the resulting code responses were analyzed for convergence to the analytical solution and orders-of-convergence using the StREEQ numerical error estimation tool. Significant deviations from the exact solution and expected orders-of-convergence, as well as changes in code behavior over time and due to choice of time integration algorithm were observed, illustrating the need to fix fundamental code issues as well as additional code verification testing before the code can be relied upon to accurately solve critical problems within its application space.