Mach number dependence of turbulent magnetic field amplification: solenoidal versus compressive flows

We study the growth rate and saturation level of the turbulent dynamo in magnetohydrodynamical simulations of turbulence, driven with solenoidal (divergence-free) or compressive (curl-free) forcing. For models with Mach numbers ranging from 0.02 to 20, we find significantly different magnetic field geometries, amplification rates, and saturation levels, decreasing strongly at the transition from subsonic to supersonic flows, due to the development of shocks. Both extreme types of turbulent forcing drive the dynamo, but solenoidal forcing is more efficient, because it produces more vorticity.     

A hybrid numerical simulation of isotropic compressible turbulence

A novel hybrid numerical scheme with built-in hyperviscosity has been developed to address the accuracy and numerical instability in numerical simulation of isotropic compressible turbulence in a periodic domain at high turbulent Mach number. The hybrid scheme utilizes a 7th-order WENO (Weighted Essentially Non-Oscillatory) scheme for highly compressive regions (i.e., shocklet regions) and an 8th-order compact central finite difference scheme for smooth regions outside shocklets. A flux-based conservative and formally consistent formulation is developed to optimize the connection between the two schemes at the interface and to achieve a higher computational efficiency. In addition, a novel numerical hyperviscosity formulation is proposed within the context of compact finite difference scheme for the smooth regions to improve numerical stability of the hybrid method. A thorough and insightful analysis of the hyperviscosity formulation in both Fourier space and physical space is presented to show the effectiveness of the formulation in improving numerical stability, without compromising the accuracy of the hybrid method. A conservative implementation of the hyperviscosity formulation is also developed. Combining the analysis and test simulations, we have also developed a criterion to guide the specification of a numerical hyperviscosity coefficient (the only adjustable coefficient in the formulation). A series of test simulations are used to demonstrate the accuracy and numerical stability of the scheme for both decaying and forced compressible turbulence. Preliminary results for a high-resolution simulation at turbulent Mach number of 1.08 are shown. The sensitivity of the simulated flow to the detail of thermal forcing method is also briefly discussed.     

A scalar model for MHD turbulence

A model for homogeneous MHD turbulence is proposed. Nonlinear interactions acts between nearest neighbours in a discretized wavenumbers space and conservation properties (total energy and v-b correlation) are verified. The model can be truncated at will. With three modes, a bifurcation analysis is given. In the turbulent case (dissipation and kinetic forcing are present) one obtains time fluctuations at all scales and time-averaged power law spectra, the small scales exhibit intermittency effects. Typical MHD phenomena such as the dynamo effect or the increase of v-b correlation in the decaying cases are also observed.     

Multidimensional HLLE Riemann solver: Application to Euler and magnetohydrodynamic flows

In this work we present a general strategy for constructing multidimensional HLLE Riemann solvers, with particular attention paid to detailing the two-dimensional HLLE Riemann solver. This is accomplished by introducing a constant resolved state between the states being considered, which introduces sufficient dissipation for systems of conservation laws. Closed form expressions for the resolved fluxes are also provided to facilitate numerical implementation. The Riemann solver is proved to be positively conservative for the density variable; the positivity of the pressure variable has been demonstrated for Euler flows when the divergence in the fluid velocities is suitably restricted so as to prevent the formation of cavitation in the flow.We also focus on the construction of multidimensionally upwinded electric fields for divergence-free magnetohydrodynamical (MHD) flows. A robust and efficient second order accurate numerical scheme for two and three-dimensional Euler and MHD flows is presented. The scheme is built on the current multidimensional Riemann solver and has been implemented in the author’s RIEMANN code. The number of zones updated per second by this scheme on a modern processor is shown to be cost-competitive with schemes that are based on a one-dimensional Riemann solver. However, the present scheme permits larger timesteps.Accuracy analysis for multidimensional Euler and MHD problems shows that the scheme meets its design accuracy. Several stringent test problems involving Euler and MHD flows are also presented and the scheme is shown to perform robustly on all of them.     

A positive MUSCL-Hancock scheme for ideal magnetohydrodynamics

We present a highly robust second order accurate scheme for the Euler equations and the ideal MHD equations. The scheme is of predictor–corrector type, with a MUSCL scheme following as a special case. The crucial ingredients are an entropy stable approximate Riemann solver and a new spatial reconstruction that ensures positivity of mass density and pressure. For multidimensional MHD, a new discrete form of the Powell source terms is vital to ensure the stability properties. The numerical examples show that the scheme has superior stability compared to standard schemes, while maintaining accuracy. In particular, the method can handle very low values of pressure (i.e. low plasma β$\beta$ or high Mach numbers) and low mass densities.     

A consistent and conservative scheme for incompressible MHD flows at a low magnetic Reynolds number. Part III: On a staggered mesh

The consistent and conservative scheme developed on a rectangular collocated mesh [M.-J. Ni, R. Munipalli, N.B. Morley, P. Huang, M.A. Abdou, A current density conservative scheme for incompressible MHD flows at a low magnetic Reynolds number. Part I: on a rectangular collocated grid system, Journal of Computational Physics 227 (2007) 174–204] and on an arbitrary collocated mesh [M.-J. Ni, R. Munipalli, P. Huang, N.B. Morley, M.A. Abdou, A current density conservative scheme for incompressible MHD flows at a low magnetic Reynolds number. Part II: on an arbitrary collocated mesh, Journal of Computational Physics 227 (2007) 205–228] has been extended and specially designed for calculation of the Lorentz force on a staggered grid system (Part III) by solving the electrical potential equation for magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) at a low magnetic Reynolds number. In a staggered mesh, pressure (p) and electrical potential (φ) are located in the cell center, while velocities and current fluxes are located on the cell faces of a main control volume. The scheme numerically meets the physical conservation laws, charge conservation law and momentum conservation law. Physically, the Lorentz force conserves the momentum when the magnetic field is constant or spatial coordinate independent. The calculation of current density fluxes on cell faces is conducted using a scheme consistent with the discretization for solution of the electrical potential Poisson equation, which can ensure the calculated current density conserves the charge. A divergence formula of the Lorentz force is used to calculate the Lorentz force at the cell center of a main control volume, which can numerically conserve the momentum at constant or spatial coordinate independent magnetic field. The calculated cell-center Lorentz forces are then interpolated to the cell faces, which are used to obtain the corresponding velocity fluxes by solving the momentum equations. The “conservative” is an important property of the scheme, which can guarantee computational accuracy of MHD flows at high Hartmann number with a strongly non-uniform mesh employed to resolve the Hartmann layers and side layers. 2D fully developed MHD flows with analytical solutions available have been conducted to validate the scheme at a staggered mesh. 3D MHD flows, with the experimental data available, at a constant magnetic field in a rectangular duct with sudden expansion and at a varying magnetic field in a rectangular duct are conducted on a staggered mesh to verify the computational accuracy of the scheme. It is expected that the scheme for the Lorentz force can be employed together with a fully conservative scheme for the convective term and the pressure term [Y. Morinishi, T.S. Lund, O.V. Vasilyev, P. Moin, Fully conservative higher order finite difference schemes for incompressible flow, Journal of Computational Physics 143 (1998) 90–124] for direct simulation of MHD turbulence and MHD instability with good accuracy at a staggered mesh.     

An adaptive MHD method for global space weather simulations

A 3D parallel adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) scheme is described for solving the partial-differential equations governing ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows. This new algorithm adopts a cell-centered upwind finite-volume discretization procedure and uses limited solution reconstruction, approximate Riemann solvers, and explicit multi-stage time stepping to solve the MHD equations in divergence form, providing a combination of high solution accuracy and computational robustness across a large range in the plasma β (β is the ratio of thermal and magnetic pressures). The data structure naturally lends itself to domain decomposition, thereby enabling efficient and scalable implementations on massively parallel supercomputers. Numerical results for MHD simulations of magnetospheric plasma flows are described to demonstrate the validity and capabilities of the approach for space weather applications     

An unstaggered constrained transport method for the 3D ideal magnetohydrodynamic equations

Numerical methods for solving the ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations in more than one space dimension must either confront the challenge of controlling errors in the discrete divergence of the magnetic field, or else be faced with nonlinear numerical instabilities. One approach for controlling the discrete divergence is through a so-called constrained transport method, which is based on first predicting a magnetic field through a standard finite volume solver, and then correcting this field through the appropriate use of a magnetic vector potential. In this work we develop a constrained transport method for the 3D ideal MHD equations that is based on a high-resolution wave propagation scheme. Our proposed scheme is the 3D extension of the 2D scheme developed by Rossmanith [J.A. Rossmanith, An unstaggered, high-resolution constrained transport method for magnetohydrodynamic flows, SIAM J. Sci. Comput. 28 (2006) 1766], and is based on the high-resolution wave propagation method of Langseth and LeVeque [J.O. Langseth, R.J. LeVeque, A wave propagation method for threedimensional hyperbolic conservation laws, J. Comput. Phys. 165 (2000) 126]. In particular, in our extension we take great care to maintain the three most important properties of the 2D scheme: (1) all quantities, including all components of the magnetic field and magnetic potential, are treated as cell-centered; (2) we develop a high-resolution wave propagation scheme for evolving the magnetic potential; and (3) we develop a wave limiting approach that is applied during the vector potential evolution, which controls unphysical oscillations in the magnetic field. One of the key numerical difficulties that is novel to 3D is that the transport equation that must be solved for the magnetic vector potential is only weakly hyperbolic. In presenting our numerical algorithm we describe how to numerically handle this problem of weak hyperbolicity, as well as how to choose an appropriate gauge condition. The resulting scheme is applied to several numerical test cases.     

Scaling laws of turbulent dynamos

We consider magnetic fields generated by homogeneous isotropic and parity invariant turbulent flows. We show that simple scaling laws for the dynamo threshold, magnetic energy and Ohmic dissipation can be obtained depending on the value of the magnetic Prandtl number. To cite this article: S. Fauve, F. Pétrélis, C. R. Physique 8 (2007).     

带引流条导电矩形管磁流体湍流大涡数值模拟

为研究引流条对磁流体湍流的影响，采用自主开发的低磁雷诺数流固耦合磁流体相干结构模型大涡模拟求解器，对均匀磁场作用下平行层内带引流条导电矩形管和标准导电矩形管中液态金属湍流进行了数值模拟研究。结果表明，外加垂直流动方向的均匀磁场与流动的导电流体相互作用产生与流动方向相反的洛伦兹力，能够抑制磁流体的湍流脉动，这种抑制作用随着哈特曼数增大而增强。在弱导电率条件下，当Re=16350、Ha=212 时，两种管道中的流动均转换为层流流动状态。管道内壁面摩擦系数随着哈特曼数的增大而增大。引流条能在其近壁局部区域增强横向速度，有效激发湍流，但在弱壁面导电率条件下，带引流条导电矩形管壁面摩擦系数较标准矩形管大。     

磁流体管流的直接数值模拟研究

在开源的CFD 工具包OpenFOAM 环境下开发了基于低磁雷诺数的磁流体湍流数值模拟求解器,对 2π ×1×1的方管中无磁场湍流和磁流体湍流进行直接数值模拟研究,给出了截面瞬时速度、平均速度的分布,截面对称中心线上的脉动速度的均方根值、湍动能的分布。计算结果表明,外加磁场对磁流体湍流具有抑制作用和并且这种抑制作用具有各向异性。     

Study of MHD dynamo effect at the outlet from plasma accelerator in the presence of longitudinal magnetic field

Properties of compressible flows in the quasi-stationary plasma accelerator have been studied in the presence of an additional longitudinal magnetic field and the arising rotation of plasma flow. Numerical study was carried out within the framework of two-dimensional magnetic hydrodynamics (MHD) model of the axisymmetric plasma flows taking into account the finite conductivity of medium and radiation transport. Dynamics of compressible plasma flows is accompanied by the MHD dynamo effect or generation of magnetic field on a conical shock wave forming at the outlet from the accelerator.     

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在开源的CFD工具包OpenFOAM环境下开发了基于低磁雷诺数的磁流体湍流数值模拟求解器,对2π×1×1的方管中无磁场湍流和磁流体湍流进行直接数值模拟研究,给出了截面瞬时速度、平均速度的分布,截面对称中心线上的脉动速度的均方根值、湍动能的分布。计算结果表明,外加磁场对磁流体湍流具有抑制作用和并且这种抑制作用具有各向异性。     

An unsplit staggered mesh scheme for multidimensional magnetohydrodynamics

We introduce an unsplit staggered mesh scheme (USM) for multidimensional magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) that uses a constrained transport (CT) method with high-order Godunov fluxes and incorporates a new data reconstruction–evolution algorithm for second-order MHD interface states. In this new algorithm, the USM scheme includes so-called “multidimensional MHD terms”, proportional to $?·\mathbf{B}$, in a dimensionally-unsplit way in a single update. This data reconstruction–evolution step, extended from the corner transport upwind (CTU) approach of Colella, maintains in-plane dynamics very well, as shown by the advection of a very weak magnetic field loop in 2D. This data reconstruction–evolution algorithm is also of advantage in its consistency and simplicity when extended to 3D. The scheme maintains the $?·\mathbf{B}=0$ constraint by solving a set of discrete induction equations using the standard CT approach, where the accuracy of the computed electric field directly influences the quality of the magnetic field solution. We address the lack of proper dissipative behavior in the simple electric field averaging scheme and present a new modified electric field construction (MEC) that includes multidimensional derivative information and enhances solution accuracy. A series of comparison studies demonstrates the excellent performance of the full USM–MEC scheme for many stringent multidimensional MHD test problems chosen from the literature. The scheme is implemented and currently freely available in the University of Chicago ASC FLASH Center’s FLASH3 release.     

基于OpenFOAM的投影法磁流体求解器开发与验证

在开源计算流体力学C++工具包OpenFOAM环境下开发了低磁雷诺数条件下的磁流体求解器,并进行了验证。采用投影算法求解动量方程和压力泊松方程;采用非结构网格同位相容守恒算法求解电势泊松方程、感应电流和洛伦兹力;采用边界耦合方法求解流固耦合电势场。通过对均匀磁场下导电方管和导电圆管内的完全发展磁流体层流的数值模拟和解析解的对比,对求解器进行了验证。进一步对非均匀强磁场作用下导电方管和导电圆管内完全发展磁流体层流进行了数值模拟,并与ALEX实验结果进行了比较。数值解和实验结果吻合良好。所开发的求解器可用于复杂结构强磁场作用下磁流体的数值模拟研究。     

The VKS experiment: turbulent dynamical dynamos

The VKS experiment studies dynamo action in the flow generated inside a cylinder filled with liquid sodium by the rotation of coaxial impellers (the von Kármán geometry). We report observations related to the self-generation of a stationary dynamo when the flow forcing is symmetric, i.e. when the impellers rotate in opposite directions at equal angular velocities. The bifurcation is found to be supercritical, with a neutral mode whose geometry is predominantly axisymmetric. We then report the different dynamical dynamo regimes observed when the flow forcing is asymmetric, including magnetic field reversals. We finally show that these dynamics display characteristic features of low dimensional dynamical systems despite the high degree of turbulence in the flow. To cite this article: VKS Collaboration, C. R. Physique 9 (2008).     

Flow helicity in a simplified statistical model of a fast dynamo

The role of kinetic helicity in small-scale fast dynamo action is investigated by employing a simple statistical model for the underlying flow with statistics that are Gaussian distributed, temporally delta-correlated and spatially homogeneous and isotropic. In order to focus on small-scale dynamo action we restrict our attention to flows possessing no net kinetic helicity. With the help of a diagrammatic technique and a numerical calculation we show that the dynamo growth rate is independent of the kinetic helicity as the magnetic Reynolds number R_m → ∞. It is indicated that the latter enhances the growth of the magnetic energy only for finite R_m.     

Numerical study of dynamo action at low magnetic Prandtl numbers

We present a three-pronged numerical approach to the dynamo problem at low magnetic Prandtl numbers P(M). The difficulty of resolving a large range of scales is circumvented by combining direct numerical simulations, a Lagrangian-averaged model and large-eddy simulations. The flow is generated by the Taylor-Green forcing; it combines a well defined structure at large scales and turbulent fluctuations at small scales. Our main findings are (i) dynamos are observed from P(M)=1 down to P(M)=10(-2), (ii) the critical magnetic Reynolds number increases sharply with P(M)(-1) as turbulence sets in and then it saturates, and (iii) in the linear growth phase, unstable magnetic modes move to smaller scales as P(M) is decreased. Then the dynamo grows at large scales and modifies the turbulent velocity fluctuations.     

A current density conservative scheme for incompressible MHD flows at a low magnetic Reynolds number. Part I: On a rectangular collocated grid system

A consistent, conservative and accurate scheme has been designed to calculate the current density and the Lorentz force by solving the electrical potential equation for magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) at low magnetic Reynolds numbers and high Hartmann numbers on a finite-volume structured collocated grid. In this collocated grid, velocity (u), pressure (p), and electrical potential (φ) are located in the grid center, while current fluxes are located on the cell faces. The calculation of current fluxes on the cell faces is conducted using a conservative scheme, which is consistent with the discretization scheme for the solution of electrical potential Poisson equation. A conservative interpolation is used to get the current density at the cell center, which is used to conduct the calculation of Lorentz force at the cell center for momentum equations. We will show that both “conservative” and “consistent” are important properties of the scheme to get an accurate result for high Hartmann number MHD flows with a strongly non-uniform mesh employed to resolve the Hartmann layers and side layers of Hunt’s conductive walls and Shercliff’s insulated walls. A general second-order projection method has been developed for the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations with the Lorentz force included. This projection method can accurately balance the pressure term and the Lorentz force for a fully developed core flow. This method can also simplify the pressure boundary conditions for MHD flows.     

基于预处理HLLEW格式的全速域数值算法

基于HLLEW(Harten-Lax-Van Leer-Einfeldt-Wada)格式引入预处理技术发展适合求解全速域流场的三维Navier-Stokes求解器.引入低速预处理技术,重新构造HLLEW格式的耗散项,给出预处理后的HLLEW格式,并根据预处理后的雅克比矩阵构造相应的隐式时间推进方程.利用预处理方法求解NACA 4412低速不可压流动与RAE 2822跨声速可压缩流动,并与实验结果及原有方法的计算结果对比.结果表明:预处理HLLEW格式不仅提高低速不可压缩流动的计算效率和精度,也保持了对可压缩流动的处理能力,是一种适用于全速域流场数值模拟的有效方法.