A CURVED MORTAR ALGORITHM FOR COMPUTATIONAL MAGNETOHYDRODYNAMICS WITH LOCAL MESH REFINEMENTS AND LOCAL TIME STEPPING

Abstract

This proposed research will further improve the accuracy and efficiency of a massively parallel unstructured-grid code (CHORUS-MHD) for predicting magnetohydrodynamics of the solar convection zone. Unstructured grids provide a great level of flexibility for optimally meshing the solar convection zone according to its hierarchical flow structures. The current version of CHORUS-MHD employs all hexahedral elements. It will be accommodated with local mesh refinements according to density scale heights. This project seeks to further develop a novel watertight mortar algorithm for nonconforming mesh interfaces in a spherical shell geometry. A novel analytical transfinite mapping technique will be employed for meshing spherical shell geometries. The transfinite mapping will also be used to replace iso-parametric mapping from each physical element to a reference computational cube. Furthermore, a parallel spacetime extension of the spectral difference method with local time stepping method that integrates transfinite mappings with local mesh refinements and local time stepping will be developed for CHORUS-MHD. Finally, enhanced CHORUS-MHD will be used to study the structures of meridional circulation and coupled phenomena of global and local dynamo. The outcomes of this project will lay a foundation for developing methods for predicting space weather, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections, much the same as we can now predict the onset of tornados, hurricanes, and other extreme weather events.

Document Details

Document Type
DoD Grant Award
Publication Date
Aug 12, 2021
Source ID
FA95502010374

Entities

People

  • Chunlei Liang

Organizations

  • Air Force Office of Scientific Research
  • Clarkson University
  • United States Air Force

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
  • Finite Element Method (FEM) for solving Partial Differential Equations (PDEs)

Technology Areas

  • Space