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.     

A new finite difference scheme for a dissipative cubic nonlinear Schrdinger equation

This paper considers the one-dimensional dissipative cubic nonlinear Schrdinger equation with zero Dirichlet boundary conditions on a bounded domain.The equation is discretized in time by a linear implicit three-level central difference scheme,which has analogous discrete conservation laws of charge and energy.The convergence with two orders and the stability of the scheme are analysed using a priori estimates.Numerical tests show that the three-level scheme is more efficient.     

An adaptive implicit–explicit scheme for the DNS and LES of compressible flows on unstructured grids

An adaptive implicit–explicit scheme for Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) and Large-Eddy Simulation (LES) of compressible turbulent flows on unstructured grids is developed. The method uses a node-based finite-volume discretization with Summation-by-Parts (SBP) property, which, in conjunction with Simultaneous Approximation Terms (SAT) for imposing boundary conditions, leads to a linearly stable semi-discrete scheme. The solution is marched in time using an Implicit–Explicit Runge–Kutta (IMEX-RK) time-advancement scheme. A novel adaptive algorithm for splitting the system into implicit and explicit sets is developed. The method is validated using several canonical laminar and turbulent flows. Load balance for the new scheme is achieved by a dual-constraint, domain decomposition algorithm. The scalability and computational efficiency of the method is investigated, and memory savings compared with a fully implicit method is demonstrated. A notable reduction of computational costs compared to both fully implicit and fully explicit schemes is observed.     

Microscopically implicit–macroscopically explicit schemes for the BGK equation

In this work a new class of numerical methods for the BGK model of kinetic equations is introduced. The schemes proposed are implicit with respect to the distribution function, while the macroscopic moments are evolved explicitly. In this fashion, the stability condition on the time step coincides with a macroscopic CFL, evaluated using estimated values for the macroscopic velocity and sound speed. Thus the stability restriction does not depend on the relaxation time and it does not depend on the microscopic velocity of energetic particles either. With the technique proposed here, the updating of the distribution function requires the solution of a linear system of equations, even though the BGK model is highly non linear. Thus the proposed schemes are particularly effective for high or moderate Mach numbers, where the macroscopic CFL condition is comparable to accuracy requirements. We show results for schemes of order 1 and 2, and the generalization to higher order is sketched.     

Total-variation-diminishing implicit–explicit Runge–Kutta methods for the simulation of double-diffusive convection in astrophysics

We put forward the use of total-variation-diminishing (or more generally, strong stability preserving) implicit–explicit Runge–Kutta methods for the time integration of the equations of motion associated with the semiconvection problem in the simulation of stellar convection. The fully compressible Navier–Stokes equation, augmented by continuity and total energy equations, and an equation of state describing the relation between the thermodynamic quantities, is semi-discretized in space by essentially non-oscillatory schemes and dissipative finite difference methods. It is subsequently integrated in time by Runge–Kutta methods which are constructed such as to preserve the total variation diminishing (or strong stability) property satisfied by the spatial discretization coupled with the forward Euler method. We analyse the stability, accuracy and dissipativity of the time integrators and demonstrate that the most successful methods yield a substantial gain in computational efficiency as compared to classical explicit Runge–Kutta methods.     

A 6th order staggered compact finite difference method for the incompressible Navier–Stokes and scalar transport equations

In a previous paper we have developed a staggered compact finite difference method for the compressible Navier–Stokes equations. In this paper we will extend this method to the case of incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. In an incompressible flow conservation of mass is ensured by the well known pressure correction method  and . The advection and diffusion terms are discretized with 6th order spatial accuracy. The discrete Poisson equation, which has to be solved in the pressure correction step, has the same spatial accuracy as the advection and diffusion operators. The equations are integrated in time with a third order Adams–Bashforth method. Results are presented for a 1D advection–diffusion equation, a 2D lid driven cavity at a Reynolds number of 1000 and 10,000 and finally a 3D fully developed turbulent duct flow at a bulk Reynolds number of 5400. In all cases the methods show excellent agreement with analytical and other numerical and experimental work.     

A full Eulerian finite difference approach for solving fluid–structure coupling problems

A new simulation method for solving fluid–structure coupling problems has been developed. All the basic equations are numerically solved on a fixed Cartesian grid using a finite difference scheme. A volume-of-fluid formulation [Hirt, Nichols, J. Comput. Phys. 39 (1981) 201], which has been widely used for multiphase flow simulations, is applied to describing the multi-component geometry. The temporal change in the solid deformation is described in the Eulerian frame by updating a left Cauchy-Green deformation tensor, which is used to express constitutive equations for nonlinear Mooney–Rivlin materials. In this paper, various verifications and validations of the present full Eulerian method, which solves the fluid and solid motions on a fixed grid, are demonstrated, and the numerical accuracy involved in the fluid–structure coupling problems is examined.     

An Eulerian–Lagrangian WENO finite volume scheme for advection problems

We develop a locally conservative Eulerian–Lagrangian finite volume scheme with the weighted essentially non-oscillatory property (EL–WENO) in one-space dimension. This method has the advantages of both WENO and Eulerian–Lagrangian schemes. It is formally high-order accurate in space (we present the fifth order version) and essentially non-oscillatory. Moreover, it is free of a CFL time step stability restriction and has small time truncation error. The scheme requires a new integral-based WENO reconstruction to handle trace-back integration. A Strang splitting algorithm is presented for higher-dimensional problems, using both the new integral-based and pointwise-based WENO reconstructions. We show formally that it maintains the fifth order accuracy. It is also locally mass conservative. Numerical results are provided to illustrate the performance of the scheme and verify its formal accuracy.     

High-order conservative finite difference GLM–MHD schemes for cell-centered MHD

We present and compare third- as well as fifth-order accurate finite difference schemes for the numerical solution of the compressible ideal MHD equations in multiple spatial dimensions. The selected methods lean on four different reconstruction techniques based on recently improved versions of the weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) schemes, monotonicity preserving (MP) schemes as well as slope-limited polynomial reconstruction. The proposed numerical methods are highly accurate in smooth regions of the flow, avoid loss of accuracy in proximity of smooth extrema and provide sharp non-oscillatory transitions at discontinuities.     

An implicit FDTD scheme for the propagation of VLF–LF radio waves in the Earth–ionosphere waveguide

A new finite-difference time-domain scheme is presented for the propagation of VLF–LF radio waves in the Earth–ionosphere waveguide. The new scheme relies on the implicit solution of the auxiliary equation that governs the current density in the ionosphere. The advantages and drawbacks of the new scheme are discussed. Its main advantage is its stability condition, which is the same as that of the FDTD method in a vacuum. This permits the time step of the calculation to be increased and then the overall computational time to be reduced. Numerical experiments demonstrate the accuracy of the new scheme and the reduction of the computational time.     

A mixed SOC-turbulence model for nonlocal transport and Lévy-fractional Fokker–Planck equation

The phenomena of nonlocal transport in magnetically confined plasma are theoretically analyzed. A hybrid model is proposed, which brings together the notion of inverse energy cascade, typical of drift-wave- and two-dimensional fluid turbulence, and the ideas of avalanching behavior, associable with self-organized critical (SOC) behavior. Using statistical arguments, it is shown that an amplification mechanism is needed to introduce nonlocality into dynamics. We obtain a consistent derivation of nonlocal Fokker–Planck equation with space-fractional derivatives from a stochastic Markov process with the transition probabilities defined in reciprocal space. The hybrid model observes the Sparre Andersen universality and defines a new universality class of SOC.     

An effective explicit pressure gradient scheme implemented in the two-level non-staggered grids for incompressible Navier–Stokes equations

In this paper, an improved two-level method is presented for effectively solving the incompressible Navier–Stokes equations. This proposed method solves a smaller system of nonlinear Navier–Stokes equations on the coarse mesh and needs to solve the Oseen-type linearized equations of motion only once on the fine mesh level. Within the proposed two-level framework, a prolongation operator, which is required to linearize the convective terms at the fine mesh level using the convergent Navier–Stokes solutions computed at the coarse mesh level, is rigorously derived to increase the prediction accuracy. This indispensable prolongation operator can properly communicate the flow velocities between the two mesh levels because it is locally analytic. Solution convergence can therefore be accelerated. For the sake of numerical accuracy, momentum equations are discretized by employing the general solution for the two-dimensional convection–diffusion–reaction model equation. The convective instability problem can be simultaneously eliminated thanks to the proper treatment of convective terms. The converged solution is, thus, very high in accuracy as well as in yielding a quadratic spatial rate of convergence. For the sake of programming simplicity and computational efficiency, pressure gradient terms are rigorously discretized within the explicit framework in the non-staggered grid system. The proposed analytical prolongation operator for the mapping of solutions from the coarse to fine meshes and the explicit pressure gradient discretization scheme, which accommodates the dispersion-relation-preserving property, have been both rigorously justified from the predicted Navier–Stokes solutions.     

A quasi-vector finite difference mode solver for optical waveguides with step-index profiles

A finite difference scheme based on the polynomial interpolation is constructed to solve the quasi-vector equations for optical waveguides with step-index profiles. The discontinuities of the normal components of the electric field across abrupt dielectric interfaces are taken into account. The numerical results include the polarization effects, but the memory requirement is the same as in solving the scalar wave equation. Moreover, the proposed finite difference scheme can be applied to both uniform and non-uniform mesh grids. The modal propagation constants and field distributions for a buried rectangular waveguide and a rib waveguide are presented. Solutions are compared favorably with those obtained by the numerical approaches published earlier.     

A numerical scheme for the Green–Naghdi model

In this paper a hybrid numerical method using a Godunov type scheme is proposed to solve the Green–Naghdi model describing dispersive “shallow water” waves. The corresponding equations are rewritten in terms of new variables adapted for numerical studies. In particular, the numerical scheme preserves the dynamics of solitary waves. Some numerical results are shown and compared to exact and/or experimental ones in different and significant configurations. A dam-break problem and an impact problem where a liquid cylinder is falling to a rigid wall are solved numerically. This last configuration is also compared with experiments leading to a good qualitative agreement.     

On the average electron–ion momentum transport cross-section in ideal and non-ideal plasmas

The energy-averaged electron–ion (e–i) momentum transport cross-section has been derived analytically and computed numerically. The result shows inaccuracy of the computations and fitting formula given by other authors.     

Improved variational solutions of the Boltzmann–Ziman transport equation. Application to electronic transport in dense plasmas

We study inelastic electron-ion scattering contributions to the thermoelectronic transport coefficients in dense plasmas. They are deduced from improved variational solutions of the Boltzmann–Ziman equation explained in this work. A new expression for the thermopower is proposed which is evaluated in the case of the dense hydrogen plasma.     

A composite grid solver for conjugate heat transfer in fluid–structure systems

We describe a numerical method for modeling temperature-dependent fluid flow coupled to heat transfer in solids. This approach to conjugate heat transfer can be used to compute transient and steady state solutions to a wide range of fluid–solid systems in complex two- and three-dimensional geometry. Fluids are modeled with the temperature-dependent incompressible Navier–Stokes equations using the Boussinesq approximation. Solids with heat transfer are modeled with the heat equation. Appropriate interface equations are applied to couple the solutions across different domains. The computational region is divided into a number of sub-domains corresponding to fluid domains and solid domains. There may be multiple fluid domains and multiple solid domains. Each fluid or solid sub-domain is discretized with an overlapping grid. The entire region is associated with a composite grid which is the union of the overlapping grids for the sub-domains. A different physics solver (fluid solver or solid solver) is associated with each sub-domain. A higher-level multi-domain solver manages the entire solution process.     

A conservative scheme for the relativistic Vlasov–Maxwell system

A new scheme for numerical integration of the 1D2V relativistic Vlasov–Maxwell system is proposed. Assuming that all particles in a cell of the phase space move with the same velocity as that of the particle located at the center of the cell at the beginning of each time step, we successfully integrate the system with no artificial loss of particles. Furthermore, splitting the equations into advection and interaction parts, the method conserves the sum of the kinetic energy of particles and the electromagnetic energy. Three test problems, the gyration of particles, the Weibel instability, and the wakefield acceleration, are solved by using our scheme. We confirm that our scheme can reproduce analytical results of the problems. Though we deal with the 1D2V relativistic Vlasov–Maxwell system, our method can be applied to the 2D3V and 3D3V cases.     

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.