Overview of spatial modeling issues

When using moment methods for inhomogeneous systems, the moment set is transported in physical space due to advection, diffusion, and free transport. Since the moment-transport equations are derived from a transport equation for the NDE, the problem of moment transport is closely related to the problem of transporting the NDF. Denoting the NDE by n(t, X, ), the process of spatial transport involves changes in n(t, x, ) for fixed values 

In the remainder of this section, we introduce the principal modeling issues related to spatial transport using moment methods. First, we discuss the realizability of the NDF and of moment sets (which are related to the numerical errors discussed above). Second, we introduce the phenomenon of particle trajectory crossing (PTC) that occurs with the inhomogeneous KE (and is exactly captured by the NDF), and describe how it leads to a closure problem in the moment-transport equations. Next, we look at issues related to coupling between spatial and phase-space transport in the GPBE (i.e. due to correlations between velocity and internal coordinates such as particle volume). Finally, we introduce KBFVM for solving the moment-transport equations in connection with QBMM, and briefly discuss how they can be used to ensure realizability as well as to capture PTC and to treat coupled moments. 

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