Particle simulation for microinstabilities

Since its inception in the early sixties, particle simulation of plasmas has been used for studying a variety of problems in plasma physics whenever the kinetic effects are important. It has been recognized that it is one of the most effective numerical methods for the investigation of highly nonlinear plasma behavior. In the field of magnetic fusion, particle simulation has been used in the areas of anomalous transport and plasma heating studies. However, not unlike other numerical methods, particle simulation also has its share of limitations. Therefore, special considerations on plasma modelling have to be given for each problem under investigation. In this paper, we discuss two areas of its application dealing with microinstabilities produced by the spatial inhomogenity and by the neutral beam injection