M. Dorr

High-order, finite-volume methods in mapped coordinates

We present an approach for constructing finite-volume methods for flux-divergence forms to any order of accuracy defined as the image of a smooth mapping from a rectangular discretization of an abstract coordinate space. Our approach is based on two ideas. The first is that of using higher-order quadrature rules to compute the flux averages over faces that generalize a method developed for Cartesian grids to the case of mapped grids. The second is a method for computing the averages of the metric terms on faces such that freestream preservation is automatically satisfied. We derive detailed formulas for the cases of fourth-order accurate discretizations of linear elliptic and hyperbolic partial differential equations. For the latter case, we combine the method so derived with Runge-Kutta time discretization and demonstrate how to incorporate a high-order accurate limiter with the goal of obtaining a method that is robust in the presence of discontinuities and underresolved gradients. For both elliptic and hyperbolic problems, we demonstrate that the resulting methods are fourth-order accurate for smooth solutions.

Effects of ion trapping on crossed-laser-beam stimulated Brillouin scattering

An analysis of the effects of ion trapping on ion acoustic waves excited by the stimulated Brillouin scattering of crossing intense laser beams is presented. Ion trapping alters the dispersion of ion acoustic waves by nonlinearly shifting the normal mode frequency and by reducing the ion Landau damping. This in turn can influence the energy transfer between two crossing laser beams in the presence of plasma flows such that stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) occurs. The same ion trapping physics can influence the saturation of SBS in other circumstances. A one-dimensional analytical model is presented along with reasonably successful comparisons of the theory to results from particle simulations and laboratory experiments. An analysis of the vulnerability of the National Ignition Facility Inertial Confinement Fusion point design [S. W. Haan et al., Fusion Sci. Technol. 41, 164 (2002)] is also presented.

Edge Gyrokinetic Theory and Continuum Simulations

The following results are presented from the development and application of TEMPEST, a fully nonlinear (full-f) five-dimensional (3d2v) gyrokinetic continuum edge-plasma code. (1) As a test of the interaction of collisions and parallel streaming, TEMPEST is compared with published analytic and numerical results for endloss of particles confined by combined electrostatic and magnetic wells. Good agreement is found over a wide range of collisionality, confining potential and mirror ratio, and the required velocity space resolution is modest. (2) In a large-aspect-ratio circular geometry, excellent agreement is found for a neoclassical equilibrium with parallel ion flow in the banana regime with zero temperature gradient and radial electric field. (3) The four-dimensional (2d2v) version of the code produces the first self-consistent simulation results of collisionless damping of geodesic acoustic modes and zonal flow (Rosenbluth–Hinton residual) with Boltzmann electrons using a full-f code. The electric field is also found to agree with the standard neoclassical expression for steep density and ion temperature gradients in the plateau regime. In divertor geometry, it is found that the endloss of particles and energy induces parallel flow stronger than the core neoclassical predictions in the SOL.

Beyond homogeneous decomposition: scaling long-range forces on Massively Parallel Systems

With supercomputers anticipated to expand from thousands to millions of cores, one of the challenges facing scientists is how to effectively utilize this ever-increasing number. We report here an approach that creates a heterogeneous decomposition by partitioning effort according to the scaling properties of the component algorithms. We demonstrate our strategy by developing a capability to model hot dense plasma. We have performed benchmark calculations ranging from millions to billions of charged particles, including a 2.8 billion particle simulation that achieved 259.9 TFlop/s (26% of peak performance) on the 294,912 cpu JUGENE computer at the Jülich Supercomputing Centre in Germany. With this unprecedented simulation capability we have begun an investigation of plasma fusion physics under conditions where both theory and experiment are lacking-in the strongly-coupled regime as the plasma begins to burn. Our strategy is applicable to other problems involving long-range forces (i.e., biological or astrophysical simulations). We believe that the flexible heterogeneous decomposition approach demonstrated here will allow many problems to scale across current and next-generation machines.

A numerical algorithm for the solution of a phase-field model of polycrystalline materials

We describe an algorithm for the numerical solution of a phase-field model (PFM) of microstructure evolution in polycrystalline materials. The PFM system of equations includes a local order parameter, a quaternion representation of local orientation and a species composition parameter. The algorithm is based on the implicit integration of a semidiscretization of the PFM system using a backward difference formula (BDF) temporal discretization combined with a Newton-Krylov algorithm to solve the nonlinear system at each time step. The BDF algorithm is combined with a coordinate-projection method to maintain quaternion unit length, which is related to an important solution invariant. A key element of the Newton-Krylov algorithm is the selection of a preconditioner to accelerate the convergence of the Generalized Minimum Residual algorithm used to solve the Jacobian linear system in each Newton step. Results are presented for the application of the algorithm to 2D and 3D examples.

High-order finite-volume methods for hyperbolic conservation laws on mapped multiblock grids

We present an approach to solving hyperbolic conservation laws by finite-volume methods on mapped multiblock grids, extending the approach of Colella, Dorr, Hittinger, and Martin (2011) 10 for grids with a single mapping. We consider mapped multiblock domains for mappings that are conforming at inter-block boundaries. By using a smooth continuation of the mapping into ghost cells surrounding a block, we reduce the inter-block communication problem to finding an accurate, robust interpolation into these ghost cells from neighboring blocks. We demonstrate fourth-order accuracy for the advection equation for multiblock coordinate systems in two and three dimensions.

Continuum kinetic modeling of the tokamak plasma edge

The first 4D (axisymmetric) high-order continuum gyrokinetic transport simulations that span the magnetic separatrix of a tokamak are presented. The modeling is performed with the COGENT code, which is distinguished by fourth-order finite-volume discretization combined with mapped multiblock grid technology to handle the strong anisotropy of plasma transport and the complex X-point divertor geometry with high accuracy. The calculations take into account the effects of fully nonlinear Fokker-Plank collisions, electrostatic potential variations, and anomalous radial transport. Topics discussed include: (a) ion orbit loss and the associated toroidal rotation and (b) edge plasma relaxation in the presence of anomalous radial transport.

High-order finite-volume adaptive methods on locally rectangular grids

We are developing a new class of finite-volume methods on locally-refined and mapped grids, which are at least fourth-order accurate in regions where the solution is smooth. This paper discusses the implementation of such methods for time-dependent problems on both Cartesian and mapped grids with adaptive mesh refinement. We show 2D results with the Berger-Colella shock-ramp problem in Cartesian coordinates, and fourth-order accuracy of the solution of a Gaussian pulse problem in a polytropic gas in mapped coordinates.

A domain decomposition preconditioner with reduced rank interdomain coupling

Abstract A preconditioner for the conjugate gradient solution of the linear system arising from a standard finite element discretization of a self-adjoint, second-order elliptic problem is proposed. To achieve an efficient implementation on multiprocessors, the preconditioner employs a domain decomposition strategy designed to substantially reduce the amount of interdomain (and therefore interprocessor) communication required to invert the preconditioner against the residual vector in each conjugate gradient iteration. A spectral equivalence result and some numerical experiments are presented.

Numerical modelling of geodesic acoustic mode relaxation in a tokamak edge

Geodesic acoustic modes (GAMs) are an important phenomenon in a tokamak edge plasma. They regulate turbulence in a low confinement (L-mode) regime and can play an important role in the low to high (L–H) mode transition. It is therefore of considerable importance to develop a detailed theoretical understanding of their dynamics and relaxation processes. The present work reports on the numerical modelling of collisionless GAM relaxation, including the effects of a strong radial electric field characteristic of a tokamak pedestal in a high confinement (H-mode) regime. The simulations demonstrate that the presence of a strong radial electric field enhances the GAM decay rate, and heuristic arguments elucidating this finding are provided. The numerical modelling is performed by making use of the continuum gyrokinetic code COGENT.