Vlasov simulations of plasma-wall interactions in a magnetized and weakly collisional plasma

A Vlasov code is used to model the transition region between an equilibrium plasma and an absorbing wall in the presence of a tilted magnetic field, for the case of a weakly collisional plasma (lambda(mfp)>rho(i), where lambda(mfp) is the ion-neutral mean-free path and rho(i) is the ion Larmor radius). The phase space structure of the plasma-wall transition is analyzed in detail and theoretical estimates of the magnetic presheath width are tested numerically. It is shown that the distribution near the wall is far from Maxwellian, so that temperature measurements should be interpreted with care. Particular attention is devoted to the angular distribution of ions impinging on the wall, which is an important parameter to determine the level of wall erosion and sputtering. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.