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Chombo-Discharge
What Chombo-Discharge is
Chombo-Discharge is free Linux desktop research code for two- and three-dimensional simulations of low-temperature plasmas in complex geometries. It uses Cartesian embedded-boundary grids with patch-based adaptive mesh refinement. Supported physics includes advection-diffusion-reaction processes, electrostatics, radiative transport, particle-mesh operations, and multiphysics interfaces. Parallel computing can use OpenMP, MPI, or both, with separate load balancing for particle and fluid work. Parallel HDF5 input and output support checkpoint-restart for fluid and particle data. Python tools accompanying the physics modules help set up applications, while VisIt is an optional visualization and analysis package. The installation guide provides a Linux workstation quick start, and building requires LAPACK and BLAS. Documentation presents the project as evolving research code for users willing to understand its operation and learn Chombo basics. It uses global time-step methods only and does not support time subcycling.
Who it suits
Chombo-Discharge suits researchers modeling low-temperature plasmas who work on Linux and can build research software with LAPACK and BLAS. It is intended for users prepared to learn Chombo fundamentals.
What it does well
- Simulates two- and three-dimensional plasmas
- Adaptive mesh refinement included
- Supports OpenMP and MPI
- Checkpoint-restart for fluid and particles
- Free and usable offline
What to know first
- Linux workstation build required
- Requires LAPACK and BLAS
- No time subcycling
- Documentation describes an evolving research code
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Freely obtainable research code; requires LAPACK and BLAS | Free |
As chombo-discharge.github.io lists them, read 5 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Chombo-Discharge provides a free, extensible plasma simulation code with adaptive grids, multiphysics options, parallel execution, and restartable I/O. Its Linux build requirements and research-oriented documentation demand technical preparation.
Facts from Chombo-Discharge's own pages
- Adaptive grids
- It uses Cartesian embedded-boundary grids and patch-based adaptive mesh refinement. · chombo-discharge.github.io, 5 Oct 2026
- Assessment tools
- No · chombo-discharge.github.io, 23 Sept 2026
- Authoring tools
- Yes · chombo-discharge.github.io, 23 Sept 2026
- Build platform
- The installation guide provides a quick-start build for a Linux workstation. · chombo-discharge.github.io, 5 Oct 2026
- Delivery mode
- desktop · chombo-discharge.github.io, 23 Sept 2026
- Development history
- The project was originally developed at SINTEF Energy Research between 2015 and 2018, with further development starting in 2021. · chombo-discharge.github.io, 5 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · chombo-discharge.github.io, 23 Sept 2026
- Intended users
- The documentation describes it as an evolving research code and says users should be willing to understand how it operates and learn Chombo basics. · chombo-discharge.github.io, 5 Oct 2026
- I/O and restart
- It supports parallel HDF5 I/O and checkpoint-restart for both fluid and particles. · chombo-discharge.github.io, 5 Oct 2026
- Lesson library
- No · chombo-discharge.github.io, 23 Sept 2026
- Notable limit
- The code supports only global time-step methods and does not support time subcycling. · chombo-discharge.github.io, 5 Oct 2026
- Offline access
- Yes · chombo-discharge.github.io, 23 Sept 2026
- Parallel computing
- It supports OpenMP, MPI, or MPI combined with OpenMP, and can individually load-balance particle and fluid work. · chombo-discharge.github.io, 5 Oct 2026
- Physics capabilities
- Its features include advection-diffusion-reaction processes, electrostatics, radiative transport, particle-mesh operations, and multiphysics interfaces. · chombo-discharge.github.io, 5 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Chombo-Discharge is a modular research code for two- and three-dimensional simulations of low-temperature plasmas in complex geometries. · chombo-discharge.github.io, 5 Oct 2026
- Python setup tools
- Python tools accompanying physics modules can help users set up applications. · chombo-discharge.github.io, 5 Oct 2026
- Support
- The installation guide invites users to contact the project on GitHub about installation issues. · chombo-discharge.github.io, 5 Oct 2026
- 3D visuals
- Yes · chombo-discharge.github.io, 23 Sept 2026
- Visualization integration
- VisIt is listed as an optional package for visualization and analysis. · chombo-discharge.github.io, 5 Oct 2026
Where Chombo-Discharge stands on Freedom251
- Physics Simulation Software#48 of 89