arXiv subjects

Friedrich Kupka

Publications and source records attributed to Friedrich Kupka.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Construction of adaptive exponential multi-operator splitting methods

We construct splitting methods suitable for the solution of the equations of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). Due to the physical significance of the involved operators, splittings into three or even four operators with positive coefficients are appropriate for a physically correct and efficient solution of the equations. To efficiently obtain an accurate solution approximation, adaptive choice of the time-steps is important particularly in the light of the unsmooth dynamics of the system. Thus, we construct new method coefficients in conjunction with associated error estimators by optimizing the leading local error term. As a proof of concept, we demonstrate that adaptive splitting faithfully reflects the solution behavior also in the presence of a shock-like behavior for the viscous Burgers equation, which serves as a simplified model problem displaying several features of the Navier-Stokes equation for incompressible flow.

math.NA↗

arXiv2022

Stellar evolution models with overshooting based on 3-equation non-local theories, II. Main-sequence models of A- and B-type stars

Convective overshoot mixing is a critical ingredient of stellar structure models, but is treated in most cases by ad hoc extensions of the mixing-length theory for convection. Advanced theories which are both more physical and numerically treatable are needed. Convective flows in stellar interiors are highly turbulent. This poses a number of numerical challenges for the modelling of convection in stellar interiors. We include an effective turbulence model into a 1D stellar evolution code in order to treat non-local effects within the same theory. We use a turbulent convection model which relies on the solution of second order moment equations. We implement this into a state of the art 1D stellar evolution code. To overcome a deficit in the original form of the model, we take the dissipation due to buoyancy waves in the overshooting zone into account. We compute stellar models of intermediate mass main-sequence stars between 1.5 and 8 $M_\odot$. Overshoot mixing from the convective core and modified temperature gradients within and above it emerge naturally as a solution of the turbulent convection model equations. For a given set of model parameters the overshooting extent determined from the turbulent convection model is comparable to other overshooting descriptions, the free parameters of which had been adjusted to match observations. The relative size of the mixed cores decreases with decreasing stellar mass without additional adjustments. We find that the dissipation by buoyancy waves constitutes a necessary and relevant extension of the turbulent convection model in use.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2021

Stellar evolution models with entropy-calibrated mixing-length parameter: application to red giants

We present evolutionary models for solar-like stars with an improved treatment of convection that results in a more accurate estimate of the radius and effective temperature. This is achieved by improving the calibration of the mixing-length parameter, which sets the length scale in the 1D convection model implemented in the stellar evolution code. Our calibration relies on the results of 2D and 3D radiation hydrodynamics simulations of convection to specify the value of the adiabatic specific entropy at the bottom of the convective envelope in stars as a function of their effective temperature, surface gravity and metallicity. For the first time, this calibration is fully integrated within the flow of a stellar evolution code, with the mixing-length parameter being continuously updated at run-time. This approach replaces the more common, but questionable, procedure of calibrating the length scale parameter on the Sun, and then applying the solar-calibrated value in modeling other stars, regardless of their mass, composition and evolutionary status. The internal consistency of our current implementation makes it suitable for application to evolved stars, in particular to red giants. We show that the entropy calibrated models yield a revised position of the red giant branch that is in better agreement with observational constraints than that of standard models.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2020

Thermal Convection in Stars and in Their Atmosphere

Thermal convection is one of the main mechanisms of heat transport and mixing in stars in general and also in the photospheric layers which emit the radiation that we observe with astronomical instruments. The present lecture notes first introduce the role of convection in astrophysics and explain the basic physics of convection. This is followed by an overview on the modelling of convection. Challenges and pitfalls in numerical simulation based modelling are discussed subsequently. Finally, a particular application for the previously introduced concepts is described in more detail: the study of convective overshooting into stably stratified layers around convection zones in stars.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2019

Layer formation in double-diffusive convection over resting and moving heated plates

We present a numerical study of double-diffusive convection characterized by a stratification unstable to thermal convection while at the same time a mean molecular weight (or solute concentration) difference between top and bottom counteracts this instability. Convective zones can form in this case either by the stratification being locally unstable to the combined action of both temperature and solute gradients or by another process, the oscillatory double-diffusive convective instability, which is triggered by the faster molecular diffusivity of heat in comparison with that one of the solute. We discuss successive layer formation for this problem in the case of an instantaneously heated bottom (plate) which forms a first layer with an interface that becomes temporarily unstable and triggers the formation of further, secondary layers. We consider both the case of a Prandtl number typical for water (oceanographic scenario) and of a low Prandtl number (giant planet scenario). We discuss the impact of a Couette like shear on the flow and in particular on layer formation for different shear rates. Additional layers form due to the oscillatory double-diffusive convective instability, as is observed for some cases. We also test the physical model underlying our numerical experiments by recovering experimental results of layer formation obtained in laboratory setups.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2016

Multidimensional modelling of classical pulsating stars

After an overview of general aspects of modelling the pulsation- convection interaction we present reasons why such simulations (in multidimensions) are needed but, at the same time, pose a considerable challenge. We then discuss, for several topics, what insights multidimensional simulations have either already provided or can be expected to yield in the future. We finally discuss properties of our ANTARES code. Many of these features can be expected to be characteristic of other codes which may possibly be applied to these physical questions in the foreseeable future.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2015

Multidimensional realistic modelling of Cepheid-like variables-II: Analysis of a Cepheid model

Non-local, time-dependent convection models have been used to explain the location of double-mode pulsations in Cepheids in the HR diagram as well as the existence and location of the red edge of the instability strip. These properties are highly sensitive to model parameters. We use 2D radiation hydrodynamical simulations with realistic microphysics and grey radiative-transfer to model a short period Cepheid. The simulations show that the strength of the convection zone varies significantly over the pulsation period and exhibits a phase shift relative to the variations in radius. We evaluate the convective flux and the work integral as predicted by the most common convection models. It turns out that over one pulsation cycle the model parameter $α_{\rm c}$, has to be varied by up to a factor of beyond 2 to match the convective flux obtained from the simulations. To bring convective fluxes integrated over the He II convection zone and the overshoot zone below into agreement, this parameter has to be varied by a factor of up to $\sim 7.5$ (Kuhfuß). We then present results on the energetics of the convection and overshoot zone by radially symmetric and fluctuating quantities. To successfully model this scenario by a static, one dimensional or even by a simple time-dependent model appears extremely challenging. We conclude that significant improvements are needed to make predictions based on 1D models more robust and to improve the reliability of conclusions on the convection-pulsation coupling drawn from them. Multidimensional simulations can provide guidelines for developing descriptions of convection then applied in traditional 1D modelling.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2014

Achievable Efficiency of Numerical Methods for Simulations of Solar Surface Convection

We investigate the achievable efficiency of both the time and the space discretisation methods used in Antares for mixed parabolic-hyperbolic problems. We show that the fifth order variant of WENO combined with a second order Runge-Kutta scheme is not only more accurate than standard first and second order schemes, but also more efficient taking the computation time into account. Then, we calculate the error decay rates of WENO with several explicit Runge-Kutta schemes for advective and diffusive problems with smooth and non-smooth initial conditions. With this data, we estimate the computational costs of three-dimensional simulations of stellar surface convection and show that SSP RK(3,2) is the most efficient scheme considered in this comparison.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2014

The effects of rotation on a double-diffusive layer in a rotating spherical shell

So far, numerical studies of double-diffusive layering in turbulent convective flows have neglected the effects of rotation. We undertake a first step into that direction by investigating how Coriolis forces affect a double-diffusive layer inside a rotating spherical shell. For this purpose we have run simulations in a parameter regime where these layers are expected to form and successively increased the rate of rotation with the result that fast rotation is found to have a similar stabilising effect on the overall convective flux as an increase of the stability ratio $R_ρ$ has in a non-rotating setup. We have also studied to what extent the regimes of rotational constraints suggested by King, Stellmach, and Buffett (2013) for rotation in the case of Rayleigh-Bénard convection are influenced by double-diffusive convection: their classification could also be applicable to the case of double-diffusive convection in a spherical shell if it is extended to be also a function of the stability ratio $R_ρ$. Furthermore, we examined the ratio of saline and thermal Nusselt numbers and compared our results with models of Spruit (2013), Rosenblum et al. (2011) and Wood, Garaud, and Stellmach (2013). We find our data to be fitted best by Spruit's model. Our result that fast rotation further decreases the convective transport, which is already lowered by double-diffusive convection, could play a major role for e.g. the modeling of the interior of some rapidly rotating giant planets, as gaseous giant planets have recently been proposed to be influenced by double-diffusive convection.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2013

Curvilinear Grids for WENO Methods in Astrophysical Simulations

We investigate the applicability of curvilinear grids in the context of astrophysical simulations and WENO schemes. With the non-smooth mapping functions from Calhoun et al. (2008), we can tackle many astrophysical problems which were out of scope with the standard grids in numerical astrophysics. We describe the difficulties occurring when implementing curvilinear coordinates into our WENO code, and how we overcome them. We illustrate the theoretical results with numerical data. The WENO finite difference scheme works only for high Mach number flows and smooth mapping functions whereas the finite volume scheme gives accurate results even for low Mach number flows and on non-smooth grids.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2012

A Low Mach Number Solver: Enhancing Applicability

In astrophysics and meteorology there exist numerous situations where flows exhibit small velocities compared to the sound speed. To overcome the stringent timestep restrictions posed by the predominantly used explicit methods for integration in time the Euler (or Navier-Stokes) equations are usually replaced by modified versions. In astrophysics this is nearly exclusively the anelastic approximation. Kwatra et al. have proposed a method with favourable time-step properties integrating the original equations (and thus allowing, for example, also the treatment of shocks). We describe the extension of the method to the Navier-Stokes and two-component equations. - However, when applying the extended method to problems in convection and double diffusive convection (semiconvection) we ran into numerical difficulties. We describe our procedure for stabilizing the method. We also investigate the behaviour of Kwatra et al.'s method for very low Mach numbers (down to Ma = 0.001) and point out its very favourable properties in this realm for situations where the explicit counterpart of this method returns absolutely unusable results. Furthermore, we show that the method strongly scales over 3 orders of magnitude of processor cores and is limited only by the specific network structure of the high performance computer we use.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2012

Multidimensional realistic modelling of Cepheid-like variables. I: Extensions of the ANTARES code

We have extended the ANTARES code to simulate the coupling of pulsation with convection in Cepheid-like variables in an increasingly realistic way, in particular in multidimensions, 2D at this stage. Present days models of radially pulsating stars assume radial symmetry and have the pulsation-convection interaction included via model equations containing ad hoc closures and moreover parameters whose values are barely known. We intend to construct ever more realistic multidimensional models of Cepheids. In the present paper, the first of a series, we describe the basic numerical approach and how it is motivated by physical properties of these objects which are sometimes more, sometimes less obvious. - For the construction of appropriate models a polar grid co-moving with the mean radial velocity has been introduced to optimize radial resolution throughout the different pulsation phases. The grid is radially stretched to account for the change of spatial scales due to vertical stratification and a new grid refinement scheme is introduced to resolve the upper, hydrogen ionisation zone where the gradient of temperature is steepest. We demonstrate that the simulations are not conservative when the original weighted essentially non-oscillatory method implemented in ANTARES is used and derive a new scheme which allows a conservative time evolution. The numerical approximation of diffusion follows the same principles. Moreover, the radiative transfer solver has been modified to improve the efficiency of calculations on parallel computers. We show that with these improvements the ANTARES code can be used for realistic simulations of the convection-pulsation interaction in Cepheids. We discuss the properties of several models which include the upper 42% of a Cepheid along its radial coordinate, assume different opening angles, and are suitable for an in-depth study of convection and pulsation.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2011

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.

math.NA↗

arXiv2010

Simulations of stellar convection, pulsation and semiconvection

We report on modelling in stellar astrophysics with the ANTARES code. First, we describe properties of turbulence in solar granulation as seen in high-resolution calculations. Then, we turn to the first 2D model of pulsation-convection interaction in a cepheid. We discuss properties of the outer and the HEII ionization zone. Thirdly, we report on our work regarding models of semiconvection in the context of stellar physics.

astro-ph.SR↗