arXiv subjects

Maxim Olshanskii

Publications and source records attributed to Maxim Olshanskii.

35 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2024

An Eulerian finite element method for the linearized Navier--Stokes problem in an evolving domain

The paper addresses an error analysis of an Eulerian finite element method used for solving a linearized Navier--Stokes problem in a time-dependent domain. In this study, the domain's evolution is assumed to be known and independent of the solution to the problem at hand. The numerical method employed in the study combines a standard Backward Differentiation Formula (BDF)-type time-stepping procedure with a geometrically unfitted finite element discretization technique. Additionally, Nitsche's method is utilized to enforce the boundary conditions. The paper presents a convergence estimate for several velocity--pressure elements that are inf-sup stable. The estimate demonstrates optimal order convergence in the energy norm for the velocity component and a scaled $L^2(H^1)$-type norm for the pressure component.

math.NA↗

arXiv2023

On fusogenicity of positively charged phased-separated lipid vesicles: experiments and computational simulations

This paper studies the fusogenicity of cationic liposomes in relation to their surface distribution of cationic lipids and utilizes membrane phase separation to control this surface distribution. It is found that concentrating the cationic lipids into small surface patches on liposomes, through phase-separation, can enhance liposome's fusogenicity. Further concentrating these lipids into smaller patches on the surface of liposomes led to an increased level of fusogenicity. These experimental findings are supported by numerical simulations using a mathematical model for phase-separated charged liposomes. Findings of this study may be used for design and development of highly fusogenic liposomes with minimal level of toxicity.

cond-mat.soft↗

arXiv2023

A scalar auxiliary variable unfitted FEM for the surface Cahn-Hilliard equation

The paper studies a scalar auxiliary variable (SAV) method to solve the Cahn-Hilliard equation with degenerate mobility posed on a smooth closed surface Γ. The SAV formulation is combined with adaptive time stepping and a geometrically unfitted trace finite element method (TraceFEM), which embeds Γ in R3. The stability is proven to hold in an appropriate sense for both first- and second-order in time variants of the method. The performance of our SAV method is illustrated through a series of numerical experiments, which include systematic comparison with a stabilized semi-explicit method.

math.NA↗

arXiv2022

A CutFEM divergence-free discretization for the Stokes problem

We construct and analyze a CutFEM discretization for the Stokes problem based on the Scott-Vogelius pair. The discrete piecewise polynomial spaces are defined on macro-element triangulations which are not fitted to the smooth physical domain. Boundary conditions are imposed via penalization through the help of a Nitsche-type discretization, whereas stability with respect to small and anisotropic cuts of the bulk elements is ensured by adding local ghost penalty stabilization terms. We show stability of the scheme as well as a divergence--free property of the discrete velocity outside an $O(h)$ neighborhood of the boundary. To mitigate the error caused by the violation of the divergence-free condition, we introduce local grad-div stabilization. The error analysis shows that the grad-div parameter can scale like $O(h^{-1})$, allowing a rather heavy penalty for the violation of mass conservation, while still ensuring optimal order error estimates.

math.NA↗

arXiv2022

Recycling augmented Lagrangian preconditioner in an incompressible fluid solver

The paper discusses a reuse of matrix factorization as a building block in the Augmented Lagrangian (AL) and modified AL preconditioners for non-symmetric saddle point linear algebraic systems. The strategy is applied to solve two-dimensional incompressible fluid problems with efficiency rates independent of the Reynolds number. The solver is then tested to simulate motion of a surface fluid, an example of a 2D flow motivated by an interest in lateral fluidity of inextensible viscous membranes. Numerical examples include the Kelvin--Helmholtz instability problem posed on the sphere and on the torus. Some new eigenvalue estimates for the AL preconditioner are derived.

math.NA↗

arXiv2021

A comparison of Cahn-Hilliard and Navier-Stokes-Cahn-Hilliard models on manifolds

We consider phase-field models with and without lateral flow for the numerical simulation of lateral phase separation and coarsening in lipid membranes. For the numerical solution of these models, we apply an unfitted finite element method that is flexible in handling complex and possibly evolving shapes in the absence of an explicit surface parametrization. Through several numerical tests, we investigate the effect of the presence of lateral flow on the evolution of phases. In particular, we focus on understanding how variable line tension, viscosity, membrane composition, and surface shape affect the pattern formation. Keywords: Lateral phase separation, surface Cahn-Hilliard equation, lateral flow, surface Navier-Stokes-Cahn-Hilliard system, TraceFEM

math.NA↗

arXiv2021

A finite element method for two-phase flow with material viscous interface

This paper studies a model of two-phase flow with an immersed material viscous interface and a finite element method for numerical solution of the resulting system of PDEs. The interaction between the bulk and surface media is characterized by no-penetration and slip with friction interface conditions. The system is shown to be dissipative and a model stationary problem is proved to be well-posed. The finite element method applied in this paper belongs to a family of unfitted discretizations. The performance of the method when model and discretization parameters vary is assessed. Moreover, an iterative procedure based on the splitting of the system into bulk and surface problems is introduced and studied numerically.

math.NA↗

arXiv2021

A finite element method for Allen-Cahn equation on deforming surface

The paper studies an Allen-Cahn-type equation defined on a time-dependent surface as a model of phase separation with order-disorder transition in a thin material layer. By a formal inner-outer expansion, it is shown that the limiting behavior of the solution is a geodesic mean curvature type flow in reference coordinates. A geometrically unfitted finite element method, known as a trace FEM, is considered for the numerical solution of the equation. The paper provides full stability analysis and convergence analysis that accounts for interpolation errors and an approximate recovery of the geometry.

math.NA↗

arXiv2021

A decoupled, stable, and linear FEM for a phase-field model of variable density two-phase incompressible surface flow

The paper considers a thermodynamically consistent phase-field model of a two-phase flow of incompressible viscous fluids. The model allows for a non-linear dependence of fluid density on the phase-field order parameter. Driven by applications in biomembrane studies, the model is written for tangential flows of fluids constrained to a surface and consists of (surface) Navier-Stokes-Cahn-Hilliard type equations. We apply an unfitted finite element method to discretize the system and introduce a fully discrete time-stepping scheme with the following properties: (i) the scheme decouples the fluid and phase-field equation solvers at each time step, (ii) the resulting two algebraic systems are linear, and (iii) the numerical solution satisfies the same stability bound as the solution of the original system under some restrictions on the discretization parameters. Numerical examples are provided to demonstrate the stability, accuracy, and overall efficiency of the approach. Our computational study of several two-phase surface flows reveals some interesting dependencies of flow statistics on the geometry.

math.NA↗

arXiv2021

An unfitted finite element method for two-phase Stokes problems with slip between phases

We present an isoparametric unfitted finite element approach of the CutFEM or Nitsche-XFEM family for the simulation of two-phase Stokes problems with slip between phases. For the unfitted generalized Taylor--Hood finite element pair $\mathbf{P}_{k+1}-P_k$, $k\ge1$, we show an inf-sup stability property with a stability constant that is independent of the viscosity ratio, slip coefficient, position of the interface with respect to the background mesh and, of course, mesh size. In addition, we prove stability and optimal error estimates that follow from this inf-sup property. We provide numerical results in two and three dimensions to corroborate the theoretical findings and demonstrate the robustness of our approach with respect to the contrast in viscosity, slip coefficient value, and position of the interface relative to the fixed computational mesh.

math.NA↗

arXiv2020

Experimental validation of a phase-field model to predict coarsening dynamics of lipid domains in multicomponent membranes

Membrane phase-separation is a mechanism that biological membranes often use to locally concentrate specific lipid species in order to organize diverse membrane processes. Phase separation has also been explored as a tool for the design of liposomes with heterogeneous and spatially organized surfaces. These "patchy" liposomes are promising platforms for delivery purposes, however their design and optimization through experimentation can be expensive and time-consuming. We developed a computationally efficient method based on the surface Cahn-Hilliard phase-field model to complement experimental investigations in the design of patchy liposomes. The method relies on thermodynamic considerations to set the initial state for numerical simulations. We show that our computational approach delivers not only qualitative pictures, but also accurate quantitative information about the dynamics of the membrane organization. In particular, the computational and experimental results are in excellent agreement in terms of raft area fraction, total raft perimeter over time and total number of rafts over time for two different membrane compositions (DOPC:DPPC with a 2:1 molar ratio with 20% Chol and DOPC:DPPC with a 3:1 molar ratio with 20% Chol). Thus, the computational phase-field model informed by experiments has a considerable potential to assist in the design of liposomes with spatially organized surfaces, thereby containing the cost and time required by the design process.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2020

New stability estimates for an unfitted finite element method for two-phase Stokes problem

The paper addresses stability and finite element analysis of the stationary two-phase Stokes problem with a piecewise constant viscosity coefficient experiencing a jump across the interface between two fluid phases. We first prove a priori estimates for the individual terms of the Cauchy stress tensor with stability constants independent of the viscosity coefficient. Next, this stability result is extended to the approximation of the two-phase Stokes problem by a finite element method. In the method considered, the interface between the phases does not respect the underlying triangulation, which put the finite element method into the class of unfitted discretizations. The finite element error estimates are proved with constants independent of viscosity. Numerical experiments supporting the theoretical results are provided.

math.NA↗

arXiv2019

Numerical modelling of phase separation on dynamic surfaces

The paper presents a model of lateral phase separation in a two component material surface. The resulting fourth order nonlinear PDE can be seen as a Cahn-Hilliard equation posed on a time-dependent surface. Only elementary tangential calculus and the embedding of the surface in $\mathbb{R}^3$ are used to formulate the model, thereby facilitating the development of a fully Eulerian discretization method to solve the problem numerically. A hybrid method, finite difference in time and trace finite element in space, is introduced and stability of its semi-discrete version is proved. The method avoids any triangulation of the surface and uses a surface-independent background mesh to discretize the equation. Thus, the method is capable of solving the Cahn-Hilliard equation numerically on implicitly defined surfaces and surfaces undergoing strong deformations and topological transitions. We assess the approach on a set of test problems and apply it to model spinodal decomposition and pattern formation on colliding surfaces. Finally, we consider the phase separation on a sphere splitting into two droplets.

math.NA↗

arXiv2019

A computational study of lateral phase separation in biological membranes

Conservative and non-conservative phase-field models are considered for the numerical simulation of lateral phase separation and coarsening in biological membranes. An unfitted finite element method is devised for these models to allow for a flexible treatment of complex shapes in the absence of an explicit surface parametrization. For a set of biologically relevant shapes and parameter values, the paper compares the dynamic coarsening produced by conservative and non-conservative numerical models, its dependence on certain geometric characteristics and convergence to the final equilibrium

math.NA↗

arXiv2017

Inf-sup stability of geometrically unfitted Stokes finite elements

The paper shows an inf-sup stability property for several well-known 2D and 3D Stokes elements on triangulations which are not fitted to a given smooth or polygonal domain. The property implies stability and optimal error estimates for a class of unfitted finite element methods for the Stokes and Stokes interface problems, such as Nitsche-XFEM or cutFEM. The error analysis is presented for the Stokes problem. All assumptions made in the paper are satisfied once the background mesh is shape-regular and fine enough.

math.NA↗

arXiv2016

Numerical integration over implicitly defined domains for higher order unfitted finite element methods

The paper studies several approaches to numerical integration over a domain defined implicitly by an indicator function such as the level set function. The integration methods are based on subdivision, moment--fitting, local quasi-parametrization and Monte-Carlo techniques. As an application of these techniques, the paper addresses numerical solution of elliptic PDEs posed on domains and manifolds defined implicitly. A higher order unfitted finite element method (FEM) is assumed for the discretization. In such a method the underlying mesh is not fitted to the geometry, and hence the errors of numerical integration over curvilinear elements affect the accuracy of the finite element solution together with approximation errors. The paper studies the numerical complexity of the integration procedures and the performance of unfitted FEMs which employ these tools.

math.NA↗

arXiv2014

A space-time FEM for PDEs on evolving surfaces

The paper studies a finite element method for computing transport and diffusion along evolving surfaces. The method does not require a parametrization of a surface or an extension of a PDE from a surface into a bulk outer domain. The surface and its evolution may be given implicitly, e.g., as the solution of a level set equation. This approach naturally allows a surface to undergo topological changes and experience local geometric singularities. The numerical method uses space-time finite elements and is provably second order accurate. The paper reviews the method, error estimates and shows results for computing the diffusion of a surfactant on surfaces of two colliding droplets.

math.NA↗