Electron transport in one-dimensional plasmas

A one-dimensional, multigroup, discrete ordinates technique for computing electron energy deposition in plasmas is detailed. The Fokker-Planck collision operator is employed in the continuous approximation and electric fields (considered external) are included in the equation. Bremsstrahlung processes are not treated. Comparisons with analytic and Monte Carlo results are given. Fits to deposition profiles and energy scaling are proposed and discussed for monoenergetic and Maxwellian sources in the range, 0 to 150 keV, with and without uniform fields. The techniques employed to track electrons are generally useful in situations where the background plasma temperature is an order of magnitude smaller than the electron energy and collective plasma effects are negligible. We have used the approach successfully in laser pellet implosion applications