Plasma Physics Modeling

Problem

Non-equilibrium plasma systems exhibit instabilities that can impact both experimental results and device performance. Understanding these instabilities is critical for predictive modeling in laboratory and applied plasma systems.

Approach

I use first-principles kinetic models to simulate plasma behavior, focusing on the two-stream instability as a representative case. The goal is to bridge theoretical understanding and practical system behavior with reproducible, high-fidelity simulations.

Implementation

• Python-based numerical simulation using optimized solvers
• Modular code structure allowing extension to other plasma phenomena
• Visualizations of instability growth and phase-space dynamics
• Hosted on GitHub for transparency and reproducibility (https://github.com/LFW25/twostream-optimized)

Outcome & Next Steps

Produces accurate simulations that reproduce expected instability behavior. Future work includes building a web-based interface for real-time parameter manipulation and visualization.

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