General model for the simulation of electrical discharges

A numerical model for the simulation of charged particle interaction with electromagnetic fields in general configurations, including particle generation and loss mechanisms, is developed. The model is based on the transmission line modeling (TLM) method. In TLM, electric and magnetic fields are described in terms of voltage and current pulses on a matrix of transmission lines scanning the problem space. Space charge effects are included at all stages in the electromagnetic (EM) simulation. Particle dynamics are governed by the total field acting on each particle. The model operates in the time domain to study transients and nonlinearities are studied.