Chen Cui

Chen Cui

Assistant Professor @ UVA. Ph.D. from USC. Research focuses on the high-fidelity, fully kinetic modeling of plasma dynamics in spacecraft electric propulsion thrusters, solar wind, and other applications related to low-temperature plasmas. The primary developer of Vlasolver

Publications

You can also find my up-to-date publication lists in my Google Scholar or my ResearchGate or my ORCiD.

Peer-reviewed Journal Articles

  1. C. Cui and J. Wang, “Vlasov Simulations of Electric Propulsion Beam”, Plasma Sources Science and Technology, vol. 33, no. 12, p. 125005, 2024, [DOI: 10.1088/1361-6595/ad98c0]
  2. Y. Zhao, C. Cui, and Y. Hu, “Rigorously Conservative Charge and Current Deposition in 3D Cylindrical PIC”, Computational Particle Mechanics, vol. 10, no. 3, p. 393, 2022, [DOI:10.1007/s40571-022-00513-6]
  3. C. Cui, S. P. Gary, and J. Wang, “Whistler Turbulence vs. Whistler Anisotropy Instability: Particle-in-cell Simulation and Statistical Analysis”, Frontiers in Astronomy and Space Sciences, vol. 9, no. 8, p. 941241, 2022. (Invited, in memorial of Dr. S. Peter Gary), [DOI: 10.3389/fspas.2022.941241]
  4. J. Asher, Z. Huang, C. Cui, and J. Wang, “Multi-scale Modeling of Ionic Electrospray Emission”, Journal of Applied Physics, vol. 131,no. 1, p. 014902, 2022, [DOI: 10.1063/5.0071483]
  5. C. Cui and J. Wang, “Grid-based Vlasov Simulation of Collisionless Plasma Expansion”, Physics of Plasmas, vol. 28, no. 9, p. 093510, 2021, [DOI: 10.1063/5.0058635]
  6. Y. Zhao, C. Cui, Y. Zhang, and Y. Hu “Implementation of Neutralizing Fields for Particle–particle Simulations Using Like Charges”, Journal of Plasma Physics, vol. 87, no. 3, 2021, [DOI:10.1017/S002237782100060X]

Peer-reviewed Journal Manuscripts Submitted/In Preparation

  1. Currently three journal paper manuscripts are in preparation.

Conference Papers/Abstracts/Posters

  1. J. Wang, C. Cui, and J. Robertson, “Quantifying PIC Noise Effects on Particle Velocity Moments: Comparisons of PIC and Vlasov Simulations”, in Bulletin of the American Physical Society, 2024, p. FM2.00007, (Invited), Link
  2. C. Cui and J. Wang, “Effects of Initial Non-Maxwellian Electron Velocity Distribution on Electric Propulsion Beam Expansion”, in The 38th International Electric Propulsion Conference, 2024, pp. IEPC–2024–191, PDF
  3. C. Cui and J. Wang, “Electron Heat Flux and Thermodynamic Process in Electric Propulsion Beam: Grid-based Vlasov Simulations”, in The 38th International Electric Propulsion Conference, 2024, pp. IEPC–2024–190, PDF
  4. C. Cui and J. Wang, “Comparison of Grid-based Vlasov and Particle-in-cell Simulations of Electric Propulsion Beam”, in The 38th International Electric Propulsion Conference, 2024, pp. IEPC–2024–189, (Best paper, S3-6), PDF
  5. C. Cui and J. Wang, “Impact of Initial Non-maxwellian Electron Velocity Distribution Function on Electric Propulsion Beam Expansion: Grid-based Vlasov Simulations”, in AIAA SCITECH 2024 Forum, 2024, p. 2711, [DOI: 10.2514/6.2024-2711]
  6. C. Cui and J. Wang, “Impact of Energetic Electrons on Electric Propulsion Beam Expansion: Grid-based Vlasov Simulations”, in Bulletin of the American Physical Society, 2023, p. JO03.00007, Link
  7. C. Cui and J. Wang, “Electron Scale Physics in Plasma Expansion: Grid-based Vlasov Simulations”, in The 50th IEEE International Conference on Plasma Science (ICOPS), 2023, pp. 1–1, (Best student paper, runner-up), [DOI: 10.1109/ICOPS45740.2023.10481338]
  8. C. Cui and J. Wang, “Two-dimensional Grid-based Vlasov Simulations of Electric Propulsion Plume”, in Bulletin of the American Physical Society, 2022, p. CO08.00004, Link
  9. C. Cui and J. Wang, “Two-dimensional Vlasov Simulations of Electric Propulsion Plume”, in The 37th International Electric Propulsion Conference, 2022, pp. IEPC–2022–242, PDF
  10. J. Asher, C. Cui, and J. Wang, “The Impact of Manufacturing Defects on Ionic Electrospray Beam Emission”, in The 37th International Electric Propulsion Conference, 2022, pp. IEPC–2022–185, PDF
  11. C. Cui and J. Wang, “A Multi-dimensional Parallel Grid-based Vlasov Solver for Kinetic Plasma Simulations”, in AIAA SCITECH 2022 Forum, 2022, p. 1618, [DOI: 10.2514/6.2022-1618]
  12. C. Cui and J. Wang, “Development of a Parallel Multi-dimensional Grid-based Vlasov Equation Solver”, in Bulletin of the American Physical Society, 2021, p. PP11.00016, Link
  13. C. Cui and J. Wang, “Development of a Parallel Multi-dimensional Grid-based Vlasov Solver for Plasma Plume Simulation”, in AIAA Propulsion and Energy 2021 Forum, 2021, p. 3413, [DOI:10.2514/6.2021-3413]
  14. S. P. Gary, C. Cui, and J. Wang, “Particle-in-cell Simulations of Kinetic Range Plasma Turbulence: Does Microinstability Growth Lead to Intermittency?” in AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts, 2020, pp. SH016–0002, Link
  15. C. Cui and J. Wang, “Simulations of Pure Ionic Electrospray Thruster Plume Neutralization”, in AIAA Propulsion and Energy 2020 Forum, 2020, p. 3613, [DOI: 10.2514/6.2020-3613]
  16. C. Cui, Z. Huang, Y. Hu, and J. Wang, “Grid-based Kinetic Simulations of Collisionless Plasma Expansion”, in The 36th International Electric Propulsion Conference, 2019, pp. IEPC–2019–862, PDF
  17. C. Cui, Y. Hu, and J. Wang, “Direct Grid-based Vlasov Simulation of Collisionless Plasma Expansion of Ion Thruster Plume”, in AIAA Propulsion and Energy 2019 Forum, 2019, p. 3992, [DOI:10.2514/6.2019-3992]
  18. C. Cui, J. Wang “Modeling Spacecraft Charging Around Irregularly Shaped Small Asteroids”, in LunGradCon 2019, NASA Ames Research Center, Mountain View, CA, Jul. 2019. (Talk) PDF
  19. C. Cui, J. Wang “Numerical Simulations of Plasma-Spacecraft Interactions Near Irregularly Shaped Small Asteroids”, Applied Space Environments Conference 2019 (ASEC 2019), Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City, CA, May 2019. (poster) PDF
  20. C. Cui, W. Yu, J. Wang “Immersed-Finite-Element Particle-in-Cell Simulation of Dust-Plasma-Spacecraft-Asteroid Interactions”, International School/Symposium of Space Simulation 13th (ISSS-13), UCLA, CA, September 2018. (poster) PDF
  21. C. Cui, J. Wyer, J. Wang, N. Siegel, M. Gruntman, T. Heinsheimer “Surveying martian surface using balloons: an open-architecture mission concept”, Committee On Space Research Symposium, Pasadena, CA, July 2018. (poster)

Seminar/Conference/Symposiums Talks

  1. C. Cui, “Quantifying Statistical Noise Effects on Fully Kinetic Modeling for Plasmas in Space Engineering: Comparisons of PIC and Vlasov Simulations”, in Department of Mechanical and Aerospance Engineering Seminar, University of Virginia, VA, Mar. 2025. (Invited Seminar)
  2. C. Cui, “Vlasov Simulations of Electric Propulsion Beam”, in Plasma Modeling Working Group Seminar, Future Technologies & Enabling Plasma Processes Program of Alabama, AL, Sep. 2024. (Invited Seminar)
  3. C. Cui, “Vlasov Simulations of Electric Propulsion Beam”, in International Online Plasma Seminar (IOPS), American Physical Society (APS), Gaseous Electronics Committee (GEC), Aug. 2024. (Invited Talk)
  4. C. Cui, “Development of Grid-based Vlasov Method for Kinetic Studies of Plasma Flows in Space Engineering”, in The 7th Annual Meeting of SIAM Central States Section, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, Oct. 2022. (Invited Talk)

Ph.D. Dissertation

Undergraduate Thesis (In Chinese)