PICSAR-QED: a Monte Carlo module to simulate Strong-Field Quantum Electrodynamics in Particle-In-Cell codes for exascale architectures

Abstract

Physical scenarios where the electromagnetic fields are so strong that Quantum ElectroDynamics (QED) plays a substantial role are one of the frontiers of contemporary plasma physics research. Investigating those scenarios requires state-ofthe-art Particle-In-Cell (PIC) codes able to run on top high-performance computing machines and, at the same time, able to simulate strong-field QED processes. This work presents the PICSAR-QED library, an open-source, portable implementation of a Monte Carlo module designed to provide modern PIC codes with the capability to simulate such processes, and optimized for high-performance computing. Detailed