Sladkov presents AKAM, a three-dimensional hybrid PIC--fluid framework for laser-plasma interaction in high-energy-density regimes. Ions are treated kinetically, while electrons are modeled as a ten-moment fluid, allowing pressure anisotropy, non-Maxwellian ion distributions, and ion-scale dynamics without the cost of a fully kinetic electron treatment. The laser is represented by a slowly varying envelope, so energy deposition and ponderomotive heating are modeled without resolving optical carrier oscillations. Collisions, ionization, inverse bremsstrahlung, and charge-state evolution provide self-consistent plasma-energy coupling. Demonstration simulations show localized magnetic structures, rapid electron heating near the laser focus, delayed ion energization, high-energy ion tails, and spectra consistent with multi-scale magnetic evolution. The paper positions AKAM as a scalable middle ground for XUV sources, laser-driven plasma jets, ablation, and laboratory high-energy-density experiments.
- Introduced a 3D hybrid PIC--fluid model for laser-plasma interaction.
- Combined kinetic ions with ten-moment fluid electrons to retain ion-scale physics.
- Used a laser-envelope model to avoid optical-cycle resolution while retaining energy deposition.
- Coupled ionization, collisions, and inverse bremsstrahlung to charge-state and energy evolution.
- Demonstrated magnetic-structure formation, electron heating, and nonthermal ion tails in simulations.