Komissarov, S. orcid.org/0000-0003-4545-9774 and Phillips, D. (2024) A splitting method for numerical relativistic magnetohydrodynamics. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. stae2620. ISSN 0035-8711
Abstract
We describe a novel splitting approach to numerical relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (RMHD) designed to expand its applicability to the domain of ultra-high magnetisation (high-σ). In this approach, the electromagnetic field is split into the force-free component and its perturbation due to the plasma inertia. Accordingly, the system of RMHD equations is extended to include the subsystem of force-free degenerate electrodynamics and the subsystem governing the plasma dynamics and the perturbation of the force-free field. The combined system of conservation laws is integrated simultaneously, to which aim various numerical techniques can be used, and the force-free field is recombined with its perturbation at the end of every timestep. To explore the potential of this splitting approach, we combined it with a 3rd-order WENO method, and carried out a variety of 1D and 2D test simulations. The simulations confirm the robustness of the splitting method in the high-σ regime, and also show that it remains accurate in the low-σ regime, all the way down to σ = 0. Thus, the method can be used for simulating complex astrophysical flows involving a wide range of physical parameters. The numerical resistivity of the code obeys a simple ansatz and allows fast magnetic reconnection in the plasmoid-dominated regime. The results of simulations involving thin and long current sheets agree very well with the theory of resistive magnetic reconnection.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © The Author(s) 2024. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. |
Keywords: | methods: numerical, MHD, relativistic processes, plasmas, magnetic reconnection, shock waves |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Engineering & Physical Sciences (Leeds) > School of Mathematics (Leeds) > Applied Mathematics (Leeds) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number STFC (Science and Technology Facilities Council) ST/S000275/1 |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 28 Nov 2024 16:40 |
Last Modified: | 28 Nov 2024 16:40 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Oxford University Press |
Identification Number: | 10.1093/mnras/stae2620 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:220155 |