Relativistic Vlasov code development for high energy density plasmas

A newly developed relativistic Vlasov code is introduced. The governing Vlasov-Maxwell equation system is solved numerically in one-dimensional space and three-dimensional momentum space. Spherical coordinate system is adopted to characterize the momentum variables for its potential advantage on reducing computational cost. The resulting Vlasov equation is split into two advection equations with respect to position and momentum, respectively. They are solved with a conservative finite volume scheme, together with techniques suppressing numerical oscillations at sharp interfaces. Relativistic longitudinal plasma oscillations are investigated for different plasma temperatures and wave numbers. Results from code simulations are in good agreement with the existing theories.