A Summary of Recent Advances in Finite Element Particle in Cell

Particle in cell (PIC) methods is a popular means of understanding and exploiting plasma physics. This has given rise to numerous codes, both those are publicly available and others. Given the range of applications of plasma physics, from klystrons to accelerators to pulsed power devices to micro-plasma devices to high precision etching to fusion, there is a widespread need for PIC codes [1]. The literature in developing these codes is long and is summarized in [2]. While we will briefly review the state of the art, we digress to pose the problem.