Approximate modelling of non-local electron transport *

Electron transport in laser-produced plasmas is non-local because the mean free path of energy-carrying electrons is comparable with hydrodynamic scale-lengths.  Ideally, the Vlasov-Fokker-Planck (VFP) equation should be solved in tandem with hydrodynamic simulation.  However, solution of the full VFP equation in two or three spatial dimensions with a full dynamic range of densities and temperatures is too slow.  The inclusion of magnetic field presents an additional challenge. Approximate VFP solvers have proved effective but there is room for improvement.  We propose a new approximate method that has the potential to be fast, robust and accurate.