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Summary form only given. The numerical study of the interaction of laser pulses with plasmas and with external magnetic field configurations can be enhanced through the use of particle simulation codes. A particle simulation code, ELBA, has been developed to study three-dimensional phenomena associated with beam propagation through diffuse plasmas and with beam transport in compact accelerators. It is formulated in a set of coordinates which move with the velocity of light, has fully relativistic plasma particles, and is fully electromagnetic. This code has been modified to study the behavior of laser pulses interacting with a plasma background in various configurations. The code can simulate the interaction between laser pulses, plasmas, and relativistic electron beams. Because of the nature of relativistic electron beams and electromagnetic pulses, a number of conventions have been adopted for their study which are not usually found in particle simulation codes [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]