title: Splitting methods for time integration of trajectories in combined electric and magnetic fields.
abstract: The equations of motion of a single particle subject to an arbitrary electric and a static magnetic field form a Poisson system. We present a second-order time integration method which preserves well the Poisson structure and compare it to commonly used algorithms, such as the Boris scheme. All the methods are represented in a general framework of splitting methods. We use the so-called ϕ functions, which give efficient ways for both analyzing and implementing the algorithms. Numerical experiments show an excellent long term stability for the method considered.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Ion Physics and Applied Physics, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25/3, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Knapp
authors.affiliation: Institute for Ion Physics and Applied Physics, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 25/3, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kendl
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Lindstedtvägen 25, 10044 Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Antti
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koskela
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstraße 13, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ostermann