Why is Boris Algorithm So Good?

Qin, Hong ; Zhang, Shuangxi ; Xiao, Jianyuan ; Tang, William M.

Princeton University. Plasma Physics Laboratory.

关键词: 70 Plasma Physics And Fusion Technology;   

DOI  :  10.2172/1090047
RP-ID  :  PPPL-4872
RP-ID  :  DE-ACO2-09CH11466
RP-ID  :  1090047

美国|英语

来源: UNT Digital Library

【 摘 要 】

Due to its excellent long term accuracy, the Boris algorithm is the de facto standard for advancing a charged particle. Despite its popularity, up to now there has been no convincing explanation why the Boris algorithm has this advantageous feature. In this letter, we provide an answer to this question. We show that the Boris algorithm conserves phase space volume, even though it is not symplectic. The global bound on energy error typically associated with symplectic algorithms still holds for the Boris algorithm, making it an effective algorithm for the multi-scale dynamics of plasmas.