All the examples mentioned above are complex. Development of models and simulation codes is important to generate an understanding of the physical and chemical mechanisms. These simulations in general should self consistently include gas flow, energy balances, plasma transport (where appropriate), multicomponent/multitemperature analysis, equations addressing power coupling (Maxwell, Poisson equations) etc. The simulations also necessarily cover a wide range of time and length scales and often turn out to be "stiff" problems.

Complimentary experiments focusing on diagnostics which probe the gas phase, plasma phase and surface are necessary to provide data for model validation. For the models to be reliable, input data on chemical reactions and rate constants, transport/thermochemical properties, surface reactions and rate constants are all needed. Generation of these requires a combination of ab initio computational models and controlled measurements.