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Numerical heating in particle-in-cell simulations with Monte Carlo binary collisions

The binary Monte Carlo (MC) collision algorithm is a standard and robust method to include binary Coulomb collision effects in particle-in-cell (PIC) simulations of plasmas. Here, we show that the coupling between PIC and MC algorithms can give rise to (nonphysical) numerical heating of the system, that significantly exceeds that observed when these algorithms operate independently. We argue that this deleterious effect results from an inconsistency between the particle motion associated with MC-collisions and the work performed by the collective electromagnetic field on the PIC grid. This inconsistency manifests as the (artificial) stochastic production of electromagnetic energy, which ultimately heats the plasma particles. The MC-induced numerical heating can significantly impact the evolution of the simulated system for long simulation times ($\gtrsim 10^3$ collision periods, for typical numerical parameters). We describe the source of the MC-induced numerical heating analytically and discuss strategies to minimize it.