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Comparisons of TVD schemes applied to the Navier-Stokes equations

In this study, the following total variation diminishing (TVD) schemes for solving the Navier-Stokes equations have been tested: the Chakravarthy and Szema (1985) upwind biased TVD scheme, the Harten's upwind TVD scheme described by Yee et al. (1983), and the Yee's (1985) symmetric TVD scheme. The schemes have been compared using three test cases. The first case was the one-dimensional shock tube problem which tested the shock-capturing abilities of the schemes. Chakravarthy's and Harten's schemes gave similar results which were found to be more accurate than the results from Yee's scheme. The second case was a compressible boundary layer which tested the schemes's abilities to solve fiscous flows. In this case, the three schemes yielded almost identical results. Finally, the shock/boundary-layer interaction case studied experimentally by Hakkinen et al. (1959) was computed. Here, Chakravarthy's and Yee's schemes compared most favorably with the published data, with Yee's scheme giving slightly better results.

Buelow, Philip E.↗

The Implicit and Explicit alpha-mu Schemes

Artificial numerical dissipation is an important issue in large Reynolds number computations. In such computations, the artificial dissipation inherent in traditional numerical schemes can overwhelm the physical dissipation and yield inaccurate results on meshes of practical size. In the present work, the space-time conservation element and solution element method is used to construct new and accurate numerical schemes such that artificial numerical dissipation will not overwhelm physical dissipation. Specifically, these schemes have the property that numerical dissipation vanishes when the physical viscosity goes to zero. These new schemes therefore accurately model the physical dissipation even when it is extremely small. The method of space-time conservation element and solution element, currently under development, is a nontraditional numerical method for solving conservation laws. The method is developed on the basis of local and global flux conservation in a space-time domain, in which space and time are treated in a unified manner. Explicit solvers for model and fluid dynamic conservation laws have previously been investigated. In this paper, we introduce a new concept in the design of implicit schemes, and use it to construct two highly accurate solvers for a convection-diffusion equation. The two schemes become identical in the pure convection case, and in the pure diffusion case. The implicit schemes are applicable over the whole Reynolds number range, from purely diffusive equations to purely inviscid (convective) equations. The stability and consistency of the schemes are analyzed, and some numerical results are presented. It is shown that, in the inviscid case, the new schemes become explicit and their amplification factors are identical to those of the Leapfrog scheme. On the other hand, in the pure diffusion case, their principal amplification factor becomes the amplification factor of the Crank-Nicolson scheme. We also construct an explicit solver with the treatment of diffusion being based on that in the implicit solvers. The explicit solver has only a CFL stability limitation on the Courant number, yet it retains the second-order spatial accuracy of the implicit schemes.

Chang, Sin-Chung↗

Sensitivity of Age-of-Air Calculations to the Choice of Advection Scheme

The age of air has recently emerged as a diagnostic of atmospheric transport unaffected by chemical parameterizations, and the features in the age distributions computed in models have been interpreted in terms of the models' large-scale circulation field. This study shows, however, that in addition to the simulated large-scale circulation, three-dimensional age calculations can also be affected by the choice of advection scheme employed in solving the tracer continuity equation, Specifically, using the 3.0deg latitude X 3.6deg longitude and 40 vertical level version of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory SKYHI GCM and six online transport schemes ranging from Eulerian through semi-Lagrangian to fully Lagrangian, it will be demonstrated that the oldest ages are obtained using the nondiffusive centered-difference schemes while the youngest ages are computed with a semi-Lagrangian transport (SLT) scheme. The centered- difference schemes are capable of producing ages older than 10 years in the mesosphere, thus eliminating the "young bias" found in previous age-of-air calculations. At this stage, only limited intuitive explanations can be advanced for this sensitivity of age-of-air calculations to the choice of advection scheme, In particular, age distributions computed online with the National Center for Atmospheric Research Community Climate Model (MACCM3) using different varieties of the SLT scheme are substantially older than the SKYHI SLT distribution. The different varieties, including a noninterpolating-in-the-vertical version (which is essentially centered-difference in the vertical), also produce a narrower range of age distributions than the suite of advection schemes employed in the SKYHI model. While additional MACCM3 experiments with a wider range of schemes would be necessary to provide more definitive insights, the older and less variable MACCM3 age distributions can plausibly be interpreted as being due to the semi-implicit semi-Lagrangian dynamics employed in the MACCM3. This type of dynamical core (employed with a 60-min time step) is likely to reduce SLT's interpolation errors that are compounded by the short-term variability characteristic of the explicit centered-difference dynamics employed in the SKYHI model (time step of 3 min). In the extreme case of a very slowly varying circulation, the choice of advection scheme has no effect on two-dimensional (latitude-height) age-of-air calculations, owing to the smooth nature of the transport circulation in 2D models. These results suggest that nondiffusive schemes may be the preferred choice for multiyear simulations of tracers not overly sensitive to the requirement of monotonicity (this category includes many greenhouse gases). At the same time, age-of-air calculations offer a simple quantitative diagnostic of a scheme's long-term diffusive properties and may help in the evaluation of dynamical cores in multiyear integrations. On the other hand, the sensitivity of the computed ages to the model numerics calls for caution in using age of air as a diagnostic of a GCM's large-scale circulation field.

Eluszkiewicz, Janusz↗

Adaptive Numerical Dissipative Control in High Order Schemes for Multi-D Non-Ideal MHD

The goal is to extend our adaptive numerical dissipation control in high order filter schemes and our new divergence-free methods for ideal MHD to non-ideal MHD that include viscosity and resistivity. The key idea consists of automatic detection of different flow features as distinct sensors to signal the appropriate type and amount of numerical dissipation/filter where needed and leave the rest of the region free of numerical dissipation contamination. These scheme-independent detectors are capable of distinguishing shocks/shears, flame sheets, turbulent fluctuations and spurious high-frequency oscillations. The detection algorithm is based on an artificial compression method (ACM) (for shocks/shears), and redundant multi-resolution wavelets (WAV) (for the above types of flow feature). These filter approaches also provide a natural and efficient way for the minimization of Div(B) numerical error. The filter scheme consists of spatially sixth order or higher non-dissipative spatial difference operators as the base scheme for the inviscid flux derivatives. If necessary, a small amount of high order linear dissipation is used to remove spurious high frequency oscillations. For example, an eighth-order centered linear dissipation (AD8) might be included in conjunction with a spatially sixth-order base scheme. The inviscid difference operator is applied twice for the viscous flux derivatives. After the completion of a full time step of the base scheme step, the solution is adaptively filtered by the product of a 'flow detector' and the 'nonlinear dissipative portion' of a high-resolution shock-capturing scheme. In addition, the scheme independent wavelet flow detector can be used in conjunction with spatially compact, spectral or spectral element type of base schemes. The ACM and wavelet filter schemes using the dissipative portion of a second-order shock-capturing scheme with sixth-order spatial central base scheme for both the inviscid and viscous MHD flux derivatives and a fourth-order Runge-Kutta method are denoted.

Yee, H. C.↗

Application of TVD schemes for the Euler equations of gas dynamics

Highly accurate and yet stable shock-capturing finite difference schemes have been designed for the computation of the Euler equations of gas dynamics. Four different principles for the construction of high resolution total variation diminishing (TVD) schemes are available, including hybrid schemes, a second-order extension of Godunov's scheme by van Leer (1979), the modified flux approach of Harten (1983, 1984), and the numerical fluctuation approach of Roe (1985). The present paper has the objective to review the class of second-order TVD schemes via the modified flux approach. Attention is given to first-order TVD schemes, a second-order accurate explicit TVD scheme, the global order of accuracy of the second-order TVD scheme, extensions to systems and two-dimensional conservation laws, numerical experiments with a second-order explicit TVD scheme, implicit TVD schemes, and second-order implicit TVD schemes.

Yee, H. C.↗

Implicit Space-Time Conservation Element and Solution Element Schemes

Artificial numerical dissipation is in important issue in large Reynolds number computations. In such computations, the artificial dissipation inherent in traditional numerical schemes can overwhelm the physical dissipation and yield inaccurate results on meshes of practical size. In the present work, the space-time conservation element and solution element method is used to construct new and accurate implicit numerical schemes such that artificial numerical dissipation will not overwhelm physical dissipation. Specifically, these schemes have the property that numerical dissipation vanishes when the physical viscosity goes to zero. These new schemes therefore accurately model the physical dissipation even when it is extremely small. The new schemes presented are two highly accurate implicit solvers for a convection-diffusion equation. The two schemes become identical in the pure convection case, and in the pure diffusion case. The implicit schemes are applicable over the whole Reynolds number range, from purely diffusive equations to convection-dominated equations with very small viscosity. The stability and consistency of the schemes are analysed, and some numerical results are presented. It is shown that, in the inviscid case, the new schemes become explicit and their amplification factors are identical to those of the Leapfrog scheme. On the other hand, in the pure diffusion case, their principal amplification factor becomes the amplification factor of the Crank-Nicolson scheme.

Chang, Sin-Chung↗

Efficient Low Dissipative High Order Schemes for Multiscale MHD Flows

Accurate numerical simulations of complex multiscale compressible viscous flows, especially high speed turbulence combustion and acoustics, demand high order schemes with adaptive numerical dissipation controls. Standard high resolution shock-capturing methods are too dissipative to capture the small scales and/or long-time wave propagations without extreme grid refinements and small time steps. An integrated approach for the control of numerical dissipation in high order schemes for the compressible Euler and Navier-Stokes equations has been developed and verified by the authors and collaborators. These schemes are suitable for the problems in question. Basically, the scheme consists of sixth-order or higher non-dissipative spatial difference operators as the base scheme. To control the amount of numerical dissipation, multiresolution wavelets are used as sensors to adaptively limit the amount and to aid the selection and/or blending of the appropriate types of numerical dissipation to be used. Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) waves play a key role in drag reduction in highly maneuverable high speed combat aircraft, in space weather forecasting, and in the understanding of the dynamics of the evolution of our solar system and the main sequence stars. Although there exist a few well-studied second and third-order high-resolution shock-capturing schemes for the MHD in the literature, these schemes are too diffusive and not practical for turbulence/combustion MHD flows. On the other hand, extension of higher than third-order high-resolution schemes to the MHD system of equations is not straightforward. Unlike the hydrodynamic equations, the inviscid MHD system is non-strictly hyperbolic with non-convex fluxes. The wave structures and shock types are different from their hydrodynamic counterparts. Many of the non-traditional hydrodynamic shocks are not fully understood. Consequently, reliable and highly accurate numerical schemes for multiscale MHD equations pose a great challenge to algorithm development. In addition, controlling the numerical error of the divergence free condition of the magnetic fields for high order methods has been a stumbling block. Lower order methods are not practical for the astrophysical problems in question. We propose to extend our hydrodynamics schemes to the MHD equations with several desired properties over commonly used MHD schemes.

Sjoegreen, Bjoern↗

Analysis and Improvement of Upwind and Centered Schemes on Quadrilateral and Triangular Meshes

Second-order accurate upwind and centered schemes are presented in a framework that facilitates their analysis and comparison. The upwind scheme employed consists of a reconstruction step (MUSCL approach) followed by an upwind step (Roe's flux-difference splitting). The two centered schemes are of Lax-Friedrichs (L-F) type. They are the nonstaggered versions of the Nessyahu-Tadmor (N-T) scheme and the CE/SE method with epilson = 1/2. The upwind scheme is extended to the case of two spatial dimensions (2D) in a straightforward manner. The N-T and CE/SE schemes are extended in a manner similar to the 2D extensions of the CE/SE scheme by Wang and Chang for a triangular mesh and by Zhang, Yu, and Chang for a quadrilateral mesh. The slope estimates, however, are simplified. Fourier stability and accuracy analyses are carried out for these schemes for the standard 1D and the 2D quadrilateral mesh cases. In the nonstandard case of a triangular mesh, the triangles must be paired up when analyzing the upwind and N-T schemes. An observation resulting in an extended N-T scheme which is faster and uses only one-third of the storage for flow data compared with the CE/SE method is presented. Numerical results are shown. Other improvements to the schemes are discussed.

Huynh, H. T.↗

Efficient Low Dissipative High Order Schemes for Multiscale MHD Flows, I: Basic Theory

The objective of this paper is to extend our recently developed highly parallelizable nonlinear stable high order schemes for complex multiscale hydrodynamic applications to the viscous MHD equations. These schemes employed multiresolution wavelets as adaptive numerical dissipation controls t o limit the amount of and to aid the selection and/or blending of the appropriate types of dissipation to be used. The new scheme is formulated for both the conservative and non-conservative form of the MHD equations in curvilinear grids. The four advantages of the present approach over existing MHD schemes reported in the open literature are as follows. First, the scheme is constructed for long-time integrations of shock/turbulence/combustion MHD flows. Available schemes are too diffusive for long-time integrations and/or turbulence/combustion problems. Second, unlike exist- ing schemes for the conservative MHD equations which suffer from ill-conditioned eigen- decompositions, the present scheme makes use of a well-conditioned eigen-decomposition obtained from a minor modification of the eigenvectors of the non-conservative MHD equations t o solve the conservative form of the MHD equations. Third, this approach of using the non-conservative eigensystem when solving the conservative equations also works well in the context of standard shock-capturing schemes for the MHD equations. Fourth, a new approach to minimize the numerical error of the divergence-free magnetic condition for high order schemes is introduced. Numerical experiments with typical MHD model problems revealed the applicability of the newly developed schemes for the MHD equations.

Sjoegreen, Bjoern↗

Construction of Low Dissipative High Order Well-Balanced Filter Schemes for Non-Equilibrium Flows

The goal of this paper is to generalize the well-balanced approach for non-equilibrium flow studied by Wang et al. [26] to a class of low dissipative high order shock-capturing filter schemes and to explore more advantages of well-balanced schemes in reacting flows. The class of filter schemes developed by Yee et al. [30], Sjoegreen & Yee [24] and Yee & Sjoegreen [35] consist of two steps, a full time step of spatially high order non-dissipative base scheme and an adaptive nonlinear filter containing shock-capturing dissipation. A good property of the filter scheme is that the base scheme and the filter are stand alone modules in designing. Therefore, the idea of designing a well-balanced filter scheme is straightforward, i.e., choosing a well-balanced base scheme with a well-balanced filter (both with high order). A typical class of these schemes shown in this paper is the high order central difference schemes/predictor-corrector (PC) schemes with a high order well-balanced WENO filter. The new filter scheme with the well-balanced property will gather the features of both filter methods and well-balanced properties: it can preserve certain steady state solutions exactly; it is able to capture small perturbations, e.g., turbulence fluctuations; it adaptively controls numerical dissipation. Thus it shows high accuracy, efficiency and stability in shock/turbulence interactions. Numerical examples containing 1D and 2D smooth problems, 1D stationary contact discontinuity problem and 1D turbulence/shock interactions are included to verify the improved accuracy, in addition to the well-balanced behavior.

Wang, Wei↗

Comparative Study on High-Order Positivity-preserving WENO Schemes

In gas dynamics and magnetohydrodynamics flows, physically, the density and the pressure p should both be positive. In a standard conservative numerical scheme, however, the computed internal energy is obtained by subtracting the kinetic energy from the total energy, resulting in a computed p that may be negative. Examples are problems in which the dominant energy is kinetic. Negative may often emerge in computing blast waves. In such situations the computed eigenvalues of the Jacobian will become imaginary. Consequently, the initial value problem for the linearized system will be ill posed. This explains why failure of preserving positivity of density or pressure may cause blow-ups of the numerical algorithm. The adhoc methods in numerical strategy which modify the computed negative density and/or the computed negative pressure to be positive are neither a conservative cure nor a stable solution. Conservative positivity-preserving schemes are more appropriate for such flow problems. The ideas of Zhang & Shu (2012) and Hu et al. (2012) precisely address the aforementioned issue. Zhang & Shu constructed a new conservative positivity-preserving procedure to preserve positive density and pressure for high-order WENO schemes by the Lax-Friedrichs flux (WENO/LLF). In general, WENO/LLF is too dissipative for flows such as turbulence with strong shocks computed in direct numerical simulations (DNS) and large eddy simulations (LES). The new conservative positivity-preserving procedure proposed in Hu et al. (2012) can be used with any high-order shock-capturing scheme, including high-order WENO schemes using the Roe's flux (WENO/Roe). The goal of this study is to compare the results obtained by non-positivity-preserving methods with the recently developed positivity-preserving schemes for representative test cases. In particular the more difficult 3D Noh and Sedov problems are considered. These test cases are chosen because of the negative pressure/density most often exhibited by standard high-order shock-capturing schemes. The simulation of a hypersonic nonequilibrium viscous shock tube that is related to the NASA Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST) is also included. EAST is a high-temperature and high Mach number viscous nonequilibrium flow consisting of 13 species. In addition, as most common shock-capturing schemes have been developed for problems without source terms, when applied to problems with nonlinear and/or sti source terms these methods can result in spurious solutions, even when solving a conservative system of equations with a conservative scheme. This kind of behavior can be observed even for a scalar case (LeVeque & Yee 1990) as well as for the case consisting of two species and one reaction (Wang et al. 2012). For further information concerning this issue see (LeVeque & Yee 1990; Griffiths et al. 1992; Lafon & Yee 1996; Yee et al. 2012). This EAST example indicated that standard high-order shock-capturing methods exhibit instability of density/pressure in addition to grid-dependent discontinuity locations with insufficient grid points. The evaluation of these test cases is based on the stability of the numerical schemes together with the accuracy of the obtained solutions.

WENO↗

Comparitive Study of High-Order Positivity-Preserving WENO Schemes

In gas dynamics and magnetohydrodynamics flows, physically, the density ρ and the pressure p should both be positive. In a standard conservative numerical scheme, however, the computed internal energy is The ideas of Zhang & Shu (2012) and Hu et al. (2012) precisely address the aforementioned issue. Zhang & Shu constructed a new conservative positivity-preserving procedure to preserve positive density and pressure for high-order Weighted Essentially Non-Oscillatory (WENO) schemes by the Lax-Friedrichs flux (WENO/LLF). In general, WENO/LLF is obtained by subtracting the kinetic energy from the total energy, resulting in a computed p that may be negative. Examples are problems in which the dominant energy is kinetic. Negative ρ may often emerge in computing blast waves. In such situations the computed eigenvalues of the Jacobian will become imaginary. Consequently, the initial value problem for the linearized system will be ill posed. This explains why failure of preserving positivity of density or pressure may cause blow-ups of the numerical algorithm. The adhoc methods in numerical strategy which modify the computed negative density and/or the computed negative pressure to be positive are neither a conservative cure nor a stable solution. Conservative positivity-preserving schemes are more appropriate for such flow problems. too dissipative for flows such as turbulence with strong shocks computed in direct numerical simulations (DNS) and large eddy simulations (LES). The new conservative positivity-preserving procedure proposed in Hu et al. (2012) can be used with any high-order shock-capturing scheme, including high-order WENO schemes using the Roe's flux (WENO/Roe). The goal of this study is to compare the results obtained by non-positivity-preserving methods with the recently developed positivity-preserving schemes for representative test cases. In particular the more di cult 3D Noh and Sedov problems are considered. These test cases are chosen because of the negative pressure/density most often exhibited by standard high-order shock-capturing schemes. The simulation of a hypersonic nonequilibrium viscous shock tube that is related to the NASA Electric Arc Shock Tube (EAST) is also included. EAST is a high-temperature and high Mach number viscous nonequilibrium ow consisting of 13 species. In addition, as most common shock-capturing schemes have been developed for problems without source terms, when applied to problems with nonlinear and/or sti source terms these methods can result in spurious solutions, even when solving a conservative system of equations with a conservative scheme. This kind of behavior can be observed even for a scalar case as well as for the case consisting of two species and one reaction.. This EAST example indicated that standard high-order shock-capturing methods exhibit instability of density/pressure in addition to grid-dependent discontinuity locations with insufficient grid points. The evaluation of these test cases is based on the stability of the numerical schemes together with the accuracy of the obtained solutions.

Schemes↗

Limitations of Separate Cloud and Rain Categories in Parameterizing Collision-Coalescence for Bulk Microphysics Schemes

Warm rain collision-coalescence has been persistently difficult to parameterize in bulk microphysics schemes. We use a flexible bulk microphysics scheme with bin scheme process parameterizations, called AMP, to investigate reasons for the difficulty. AMP is configured in a variety of ways to mimic bulk schemes and is compared to simulations with the bin scheme upon which AMP is built. We find that an important limitation in traditional bulk schemes is the use of separate cloud and rain categories. When the drop size distribution is instead represented by a continuous distribution, the simulation of cloud-to-rain conversion is substantially improved. We also find large sensitivity to the threshold size to distinguish cloud and rain in traditional schemes; substantial improvement is found by decreasing the threshold from 40 to 25 μm. Neither the use of an assumed functional form for the size distribution nor the choice of predicted distribution moments has a large impact on the ability of AMP to simulate rain production. When predicting four total moments of the liquid drop size distribution, either with a traditional two-category, two-moment scheme with a reduced size threshold, or a four-moment single-category scheme, errors in the evolution of mass and the cloud size distribution are similar, but the single-category scheme has a substantially better representation of the rain size distribution. Optimal moment combinations for the single-category approach are investigated and appear to be linked more to the information content they provide for constraining the size distributions than to their correlation with collision-coalescence rates.

autoconversion↗

On symmetric and upwind TVD schemes

A class of explicit and implicit total variation diminishing (TVD) schemes for the compressible Euler and Navier-Stokes equations was developed. They do not generate spurious oscillations across shocks and contact discontinuities. In general, shocks can be captured within 1 to 2 grid points. For the inviscid case, these schemes are divided into upwind TVD schemes and symmetric (nonupwind) TVD schemes. The upwind TVD scheme is based on the second-order TVD scheme. The symmetric TVD scheme is a generalization of Roe's and Davis' TVD Lax-Wendroff scheme. The performance of these schemes on some viscous and inviscid airfoil steady-state calculations is investigated. The symmetric and upwind TVD schemes are compared.

Yee, H. C.↗

Extension of Low Dissipative High Order Hydrodynamics Schemes for MHD Equations

The objective of this paper is to extend our recently developed highly parallelizable nonlinear stable high order schemes for complex multiscale hydrodynamic applications to the viscous MHD (magnetohydrodynamic) equations. These schemes employed multiresolution wavelets as adaptive numerical dissipation controls to limit the amount and to aid the selection and/or blending of the appropriate types of dissipation to be used. The new scheme is formulated for both the conservative and non-conservative form of the MHD equations in curvi-linear grids. The three features of the present MHD scheme over existing schemes in the open literature are as follows. First, the scheme is constructed for long-time integrations of shock/turbulence/combustion magnetized flows. Available schemes are too diffusive for long-time integrations and/or turbulence/combustion problems. Second, unlike existing schemes for the conservative MHD equations which suffer from ill-conditioned eigen-decompositions, the present scheme makes use of a well-conditioned eigen-decomposition to solve the conservative form of the MHD equations. This is due to, partly. the fact that the divergence of the magnetic field condition is a different type of constraint from its incompressible Navier-Stokes cousin. Third, a new approach to minimize the numerical error of the divergence free magnetic condition for high order scheme is introduced.

Yee, H. C.↗

On Some Numerical Dissipation Schemes

Several schemes for introducing an artificial dissipation into a central difference approximation to the Euler and Navier Stokes equations are considered. The focus of the paper is on the convective upwind and split pressure (CUSP) scheme, which is designed to support single interior point discrete shock waves. This scheme is analyzed and compared in detail with scalar dissipation and matrix dissipation (MATD) schemes. Resolution capability is determined by solving subsonic, transonic, and hypersonic flow problems. A finite-volume discretization and a multistage time-stepping scheme with multigrid are used to compute solutions to the flow equations. Numerical solutions are also compared with either theoretical solutions or experimental data. For transonic airfoil flows the best accuracy on coarse meshes for aerodynamic coefficients is obtained with a simple MATD scheme. The coarse-grid accuracy for the original CUSP scheme is improved by modifying the limiter function used with the scheme, giving comparable accuracy to that obtained with the MATD scheme. The modifications reduce the background dissipation and provide control over the regions where the scheme can become first order.

Swanson, R. C.↗

On Space-Time Inversion Invariance and its Relation to Non-Dissipatedness of a CESE Core Scheme

The core motivating ideas of the space-time CESE method are clearly presented and critically analyzed. It is explained why these ideas result in all the simplifying and enabling features of the CESE method. A thorough discussion of the a scheme, a two-level non-dissipative CESE solver of a simple advection equation with two independent mesh variables and two equations per mesh point is also presented. It is shown that the scheme possesses some rather intriguing properties such as: (i) its two independent mesh variables separately satisfy two decoupled three-level leapfrog schemes and (ii) it shares with the leapfrog scheme the same amplification factors, even though the a scheme and the leapfrog scheme have completely different origins and structures. It is also explained why the leapfrog scheme is not as robust as the a scheme. The amplification factors/matrices of several non-dissipative schemes are carefully studied and the key properties that contribute to their non-dissipatedness are clearly spelled out. Finally we define and establish space-time inversion (STI) invariance for several non-dissipative schemes and show that their non-dissipatedness is a result of their STI invariance.

Chang, Sin-Chung↗

The alpha(3) Scheme - A Fourth-Order Neutrally Stable CESE Solver

The conservation element and solution element (CESE) development is driven by a belief that a solver should (i) enforce conservation laws in both space and time, and (ii) be built from a non-dissipative (i.e., neutrally stable) core scheme so that the numerical dissipation can be controlled effectively. To provide a solid foundation for a systematic CESE development of high order schemes, in this paper we describe a new 4th-order neutrally stable CESE solver of the advection equation Theta u/Theta + alpha Theta u/Theta x = 0. The space-time stencil of this two-level explicit scheme is formed by one point at the upper time level and three points at the lower time level. Because it is associated with three independent mesh variables u(sup n) (sub j), (u(sub x))(sup n) (sub j) , and (uxz)(sup n) (sub j) (the numerical analogues of u, Theta u/Theta x, and Theta(exp 2)u/Theta x(exp 2), respectively) and four equations per mesh point, the new scheme is referred to as the alpha(3) scheme. As in the case of other similar CESE neutrally stable solvers, the alpha(3) scheme enforces conservation laws in space-time locally and globally, and it has the basic, forward marching, and backward marching forms. These forms are equivalent and satisfy a space-time inversion (STI) invariant property which is shared by the advection equation. Based on the concept of STI invariance, a set of algebraic relations is developed and used to prove that the alpha(3) scheme must be neutrally stable when it is stable. Moreover it is proved rigorously that all three amplification factors of the alpha(3) scheme are of unit magnitude for all phase angles if |v| <= 1/2 (v = alpha delta t/delta x). This theoretical result is consistent with the numerical stability condition |v| <= 1/2. Through numerical experiments, it is established that the alpha(3) scheme generally is (i) 4th-order accurate for the mesh variables u(sup n) (sub j) and (ux)(sup n) (sub j); and 2nd-order accurate for (uxx)(sup n) (sub j). However, in some exceptional cases, the scheme can achieve perfect accuracy aside from round-off errors.

Chang, Sin-Chung↗