Eulerian Vlasov codes Original Research Article

Four different Eulerian grid-based Vlasov solvers are discussed, namely a second order method and a fourth order method (symplectic integrator) using cubic splines for interpolation, the CIP (cubic interpolated propagation) method, and an Euler–Lagrange method applying two-dimensional cubic interpolants. The four methods will be presented by outlining their algorithm. The performance of the numerical methods will be compared by numerically solving the Vlasov–Poisson system for the distribution function on a fixed Eulerian grid, for the problem of a two-stream instability in a two-dimensional phase-space.