A nonconforming finite element method for the Cahn–Hilliard equation

This paper reports a fully discretized scheme for the Cahn–Hilliard equation. The method uses a convexity-splitting scheme to discretize in the temporal variable and a nonconforming finite element method to discretize in the spatial variable. And, the scheme can preserve the mass conservation and energy dissipation properties of the original problem. Some typical phase transition phenomena are also observed through the numerical examples.     

A general strategy for the optimization of Runge–Kutta schemes for wave propagation phenomena

We analyze optimized explicit Runge–Kutta schemes (RK) for computational aeroacoustics, and wave propagation phenomena in general. Exploiting the analysis developed in [S. Pirozzoli, Performance analysis and optimization of finite-difference schemes for wave propagation problems, J. Comput. Phys. 222 (2007) 809–831], we rigorously evaluate the performance of several time integration schemes in terms of appropriate error and cost metrics, and provide a general strategy to design Runge–Kutta methods tailored for specific applications. We present families of optimized second- and third-order Runge–Kutta schemes with up to seven stages, and describe their implementation in the framework of Williamson’s 2N$2N$-storage formulation [J.H. Williamson, Low-storage Runge–Kutta schemes, J. Comput. Phys. 35 (1980) 48–56]. Numerical simulations of the 1D linear advection equation and of the 2D linearized Euler equations are performed to demonstrate the validity of the theory and to quantify the improvement provided by optimized schemes.     

An hybrid finite volume–finite element method for variable density incompressible flows

This paper is devoted to the numerical simulation of variable density incompressible flows, modeled by the Navier–Stokes system. We introduce an hybrid scheme which combines a finite volume approach for treating the mass conservation equation and a finite element method to deal with the momentum equation and the divergence free constraint. The breakthrough relies on the definition of a suitable footbridge between the two methods, through the design of compatibility condition. In turn, the method is very flexible and allows to deal with unstructured meshes. Several numerical tests are performed to show the scheme capabilities. In particular, the viscous Rayleigh–Taylor instability evolution is carefully investigated.     

A convergent finite element approximation for Landau–Lifschitz–Gilbert equation

This paper describes a finite element formulation for Landau–Lifschitz–Gilbert equation (LLGE) that is proved to converge as the time and space steps tend to 0 toward a weak solution of LLGE. An order two (in time) scheme is also given and numerical results are presented showing the applicability of the method.     

A hybrid finite element–energy finite element method for mid-frequency vibrations of built-up structures under multi-distributed loadings

In this study, a hybrid method combining finite element analysis and energy finite element analysis is developed to predict the vibrations of built-up structures in mid-frequency, and the associated general formulations are derived. The interactions between the structural components are modeled using a global matrix of the system and the reverberant blocked force. To validate the proposed method, three examples of different built-up structural systems, subjected to different types of excitations, are analyzed and discussed. These types of excitations are single point, multipoint and distributed forces on stiff member or flexible member. The results predicted by the presented method show good agreements with the dense finite element model, and the detailed local energies of the whole system are acquired under the different regional loadings. These results indicate that the proposed method can be utilized for the prediction of vibrations in the mid-frequency range.     

An efficient high-order boundary element method for nonlinear wave–wave and wave-body interactions

A highly efficient high-order boundary element method is developed for the numerical simulation of nonlinear wave–wave and wave-body interactions in the context of potential flow. The method is based on the framework of the quadratic boundary element method (QBEM) for the boundary integral equation and uses the pre-corrected fast Fourier transform (PFFT) algorithm to accelerate the evaluation of far-field influences of source and/or normal dipole distributions on boundary elements. The resulting PFFT–QBEM reduces the computational effort of solving the associated boundary-value problem from O(N^2～3) (with the traditional QBEM) to O(N ln N) where N represents the total number of boundary unknowns. Significantly, it allows for reliable computations of nonlinear hydrodynamics useful in ship design and marine applications, which are forbidden with the traditional methods on the presently available computing platforms. The formulation and numerical issues in the development and implementation of the PFFT–QBEM are described in detail. The characteristics of accuracy and efficiency of the PFFT–QBEM for various boundary-value problems are studied and compared to those of the existing accelerated (lower- and higher-order) boundary element methods. To illustrate the usefulness of the PFFT–QBEM, it is applied to solve the initial boundary-value problem in the generation of three-dimensional nonlinear waves by a moving ship hull. The predicted wave profile and resistance on the ship are compared to available experimental measurements with satisfactory agreements.     

Space–time discontinuous Galerkin finite element method for two-fluid flows

A novel numerical method for two-fluid flow computations is presented, which combines the space–time discontinuous Galerkin finite element discretization with the level set method and cut-cell based interface tracking. The space–time discontinuous Galerkin (STDG) finite element method offers high accuracy, an inherent ability to handle discontinuities and a very local stencil, making it relatively easy to combine with local hp-refinement. The front tracking is incorporated via cut-cell mesh refinement to ensure a sharp interface between the fluids. To compute the interface dynamics the level set method (LSM) is used because of its ability to deal with merging and breakup. Also, the LSM is easy to extend to higher dimensions. Small cells arising from the cut-cell refinement are merged to improve the stability and performance. The interface conditions are incorporated in the numerical flux at the interface and the STDG discretization ensures that the scheme is conservative as long as the numerical fluxes are conservative. The numerical method is applied to one and two dimensional two-fluid test problems using the Euler equations.     

Measurements of the shear Alfvén wave dispersion for finite perpendicular wave number

Measurements of the dispersion relation for shear Alfvén waves as a function of the perpendicular wave number are reported for the regime in which V(A) approximately V(Te). By measuring the parallel phase velocity of the waves, the measurements can be compared directly to theoretical predictions of the dispersion relation for a parameter regime in which particle kinetic effects become important. The comparison shows that the best agreement between theory and experiment is achieved when a fully complex, warm plasma dispersion relation is used.     

Gauss–Newton reconstruction method for optical tomography using the finite element solution of the radiative transfer equation

The radiative transfer equation can be utilized in optical tomography in situations in which the more commonly applied diffusion approximation is not valid. In this paper, an image reconstruction method based on a frequency domain radiative transfer equation is developed. The approach is based on a total variation output regularized least squares method which is solved with a Gauss–Newton algorithm. The radiative transfer equation is numerically solved with a finite element method in which both the spatial and angular discretizations are implemented in piecewise linear bases. Furthermore, the streamline diffusion modification is utilized to improve the numerical stability. The approach is tested with simulations. Reconstructions from different cases including domains with low-scattering regions are shown. The results show that the radiative transfer equation can be utilized in optical tomography and it can produce good quality images even in the presence of low-scattering regions.     

New connections between finite element formulations of the Navier–Stokes equations

We show the velocity solutions to the convective, skew-symmetric, and rotational Galerkin finite element formulations of the Navier–Stokes equations are identical if Scott–Vogelius elements are used, and thus all three formulations will be the same pointwise divergence free solution velocity. A connection is then established between the formulations for grad-div stabilized Taylor–Hood elements: under mild restrictions, the formulations’ velocity solutions converge to each other (and to the Scott–Vogelius solution) as the stabilization parameter tends to infinity. Thus the benefits of using Scott–Vogelius elements can be obtained with the less expensive Taylor–Hood elements, and moreover the benefits of all the formulations can be retained if the rotational formulation is used. Numerical examples are provided that confirm the theory.     

A finite element method for the numerical solution of the coupled Cahn–Hilliard and Navier–Stokes system for moving contact line problems

In this paper, a semi-implicit finite element method is presented for the coupled Cahn–Hilliard and Navier–Stokes equations with the generalized Navier boundary condition for the moving contact line problems. In our method, the system is solved in a decoupled way. For the Cahn–Hilliard equations, a convex splitting scheme is used along with a P1-P1 finite element discretization. The scheme is unconditionally stable. A linearized semi-implicit P2-P0 mixed finite element method is employed to solve the Navier–Stokes equations. With our method, the generalized Navier boundary condition is extended to handle the moving contact line problems with complex boundary in a very natural way. The efficiency and capacity of the present method are well demonstrated with several numerical examples.     

A least-squares/finite element method for the numerical solution of the Navier–Stokes-Cahn–Hilliard system modeling the motion of the contact line

In this article we discuss the numerical solution of the Navier–Stokes-Cahn–Hilliard system modeling the motion of the contact line separating two immiscible incompressible viscous fluids near a solid wall. The method we employ combines a finite element space approximation with a time discretization by operator-splitting. To solve the Cahn–Hilliard part of the problem, we use a least-squares/conjugate gradient method. We also show that the scheme has the total energy decaying in time property under certain conditions. Our numerical experiments indicate that the method discussed here is accurate, stable and efficient.     

A high-order discontinuous Galerkin method for wave propagation through coupled elastic–acoustic media

We introduce a high-order discontinuous Galerkin (dG) scheme for the numerical solution of three-dimensional (3D) wave propagation problems in coupled elastic–acoustic media. A velocity–strain formulation is used, which allows for the solution of the acoustic and elastic wave equations within the same unified framework. Careful attention is directed at the derivation of a numerical flux that preserves high-order accuracy in the presence of material discontinuities, including elastic–acoustic interfaces. Explicit expressions for the 3D upwind numerical flux, derived as an exact solution for the relevant Riemann problem, are provided. The method supports h-non-conforming meshes, which are particularly effective at allowing local adaptation of the mesh size to resolve strong contrasts in the local wavelength, as well as dynamic adaptivity to track solution features. The use of high-order elements controls numerical dispersion, enabling propagation over many wave periods. We prove consistency and stability of the proposed dG scheme. To study the numerical accuracy and convergence of the proposed method, we compare against analytical solutions for wave propagation problems with interfaces, including Rayleigh, Lamb, Scholte, and Stoneley waves as well as plane waves impinging on an elastic–acoustic interface. Spectral rates of convergence are demonstrated for these problems, which include a non-conforming mesh case. Finally, we present scalability results for a parallel implementation of the proposed high-order dG scheme for large-scale seismic wave propagation in a simplified earth model, demonstrating high parallel efficiency for strong scaling to the full size of the Jaguar Cray XT5 supercomputer.     

A positivity-preserving ALE finite element scheme for convection–diffusion equations in moving domains

A new high-resolution scheme is developed for convection–diffusion problems in domains with moving boundaries. A finite element approximation of the governing equation is designed within the framework of a conservative Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) formulation. An implicit flux-corrected transport (FCT) algorithm is implemented to suppress spurious undershoots and overshoots appearing in convection-dominated problems. A detailed numerical study is performed for P₁ finite element discretizations on fixed and moving meshes. Simulation results for a Taylor dispersion problem (moderate Peclet numbers) and for a convection-dominated problem (large Peclet numbers) are presented to give a flavor of practical applications.     

On stable parametric finite element methods for the Stefan problem and the Mullins–Sekerka problem with applications to dendritic growth

We introduce a parametric finite element approximation for the Stefan problem with the Gibbs–Thomson law and kinetic undercooling, which mimics the underlying energy structure of the problem. The proposed method is also applicable to certain quasi-stationary variants, such as the Mullins–Sekerka problem. In addition, fully anisotropic energies are easily handled. The approximation has good mesh properties, leading to a well-conditioned discretization, even in three space dimensions. Several numerical computations, including for dendritic growth and for snow crystal growth, are presented.     

Optimal Runge–Kutta schemes for discontinuous Galerkin space discretizations applied to wave propagation problems

We study the performance of methods of lines combining discontinuous Galerkin spatial discretizations and explicit Runge–Kutta time integrators, with the aim of deriving optimal Runge–Kutta schemes for wave propagation applications. We review relevant Runge–Kutta methods from literature, and consider schemes of order q from 3 to 4, and number of stages up to q + 4, for optimization. From a user point of view, the problem of the computational efficiency involves the choice of the best combination of mesh and numerical method; two scenarios are defined. In the first one, the element size is totally free, and a 8-stage, fourth-order Runge–Kutta scheme is found to minimize a cost measure depending on both accuracy and stability. In the second one, the elements are assumed to be constrained to such a small size by geometrical features of the computational domain, that accuracy is disregarded. We then derive one 7-stage, third-order scheme and one 8-stage, fourth-order scheme that maximize the stability limit. The performance of the three new schemes is thoroughly analyzed, and the benefits are illustrated with two examples. For each of these Runge–Kutta methods, we provide the coefficients for a 2N-storage implementation, along with the information needed by the user to employ them optimally.     

Using Lorentz’s theorem for studying the propagation wave packets in a nonlinear medium

We obtain integral relationships expressing the amplitude of wave-packet field on the output surface of a layer via the field amplitude on the input surface, the field on the side surface of the layer, and the integral of the nonlinear currents inside the layer at the previous times in the spectral and spatiotemporal forms. These relationships allow one to perform studies and develop numerical simulation algorithms of propagation and interaction of wave packets which have wide frequency and angular spectra, including calculations of excitation of evanescent waves in the case of sharp focusing or formation of supernarrow filaments. Using the obtained relationships, we propose an algorithm that employs a simple iteration of the first order and allows one to significantly speed up the calculations. The possibility of using the fast Fourier transform to develop algorithms for numerical simulation of the boundary-value problems of nonlinear optics is demonstrated.