  We present a review of recent developments of simulations of the
Vlasov-Maxwell system of equations using a Fourier transform method in velocity
space. In this method, the distribution functions for electrons and ions are
Fourier transformed in velocity space, and the resulting set of equations are
solved numerically. In the original Vlasov equation, phase mixing may lead to
an oscillatory behavior and sharp gradients of the distribution function in
velocity space, which is problematic in simulations where it can lead to
unphysical electric fields and instabilities and to the recurrence effect where
parts of the initial condition recur in the simulation. The particle
distribution function is in general smoother in the Fourier transformed
velocity space, which is desirable for the numerical approximations. By
designing outflow boundary conditions in the Fourier transformed velocity
space, the highest oscillating terms are allowed to propagate out through the
boundary and are removed from the calculations, thereby strongly reducing the
numerical recurrence effect. The outflow boundary conditions in higher
dimensions including electromagnetic effects are discussed. The Fourier
transform method is also suitable to solve the Fourier transformed Wigner
equation, which is the quantum mechanical analogue of the Vlasov equation for
classical particles.
