arXiv subjects

R. Grauer

Publications and source records attributed to R. Grauer.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Variational Formulation of a Hybrid Kinetic and Gyrokinetic Model for Astrophysical and Laboratory Plasmas

We present a Lagrangian model that encapsulates fully kinetic ions and gyrokinetic electrons for solar wind electromagnetic turbulence. Using a consistent method, where both electrons and protons are treated with the same mathematical formalism, we derive and implement a model in which high-frequency waves and kinetic electron effects are described in a computationally cost-efficient way. Higher-order Lie-transform perturbation methods applied to Hamiltonian formulation of guiding center motion are used to describe the dynamics of particles and fields. We use a variational approach to derive field equations for closure of the system.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2025

Solving the six-dimensional Vlasov-Maxwell System with Active Flux and Splitting Methods

Active Flux (AF) is a modified Finite Volume method that evolves additional Degrees of Freedom (DoF) located on the cell interfaces to compute high-order approximations to the numerical fluxes through the respective interface. We present an AF-based scheme for the simulation of collisionless plasmas described by the Vlasov equation coupled with Maxwell's equations. In order to limit the DoF in high dimensional settings we employ operator splitting. The resulting one-dimensional advection equations can be solved efficiently and with low implementation complexity, making it a very fast alternative to standard Finite Volume methods. We compare our scheme's performance with a related Finite Volume method based on the semi-Lagrangian approach. We find that, as a consequence of its compact stencil, the AF scheme has significantly lower dissipation and reduced anisotropy, and thus produces results on par with or even superior to the benchmark for standard test cases reproducing important kinetic phenomena, while also offering lower computational cost.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2021

Explicit construction of joint multipoint statistics in complex systems

Complex systems often involve random fluctuations for which self-similar properties in space and time play an important role. Fractional Brownian motions, characterized by a single scaling exponent, the Hurst exponent $H$, provide a convenient tool to construct synthetic signals that capture the statistical properties of many processes in the physical sciences and beyond. However, in certain strongly interacting systems, e.g., turbulent flows, stock market indices, or cardiac interbeats, multiscale interactions lead to significant deviations from self-similarity and may therefore require a more elaborate description. In the context of turbulence, the Kolmogorov-Oboukhov model (K62) describes anomalous scaling, albeit explicit constructions of a turbulent signal by this model are not available yet. Here, we derive an explicit formula for the joint multipoint probability density function of a multifractal field. To this end, we consider a scale mixture of fractional Ornstein-Uhlenbeck processes and introduce a fluctuating length scale in the corresponding covariance function. In deriving the complete statistical properties of the field, we are able to systematically model synthetic multifractal phenomena. We conclude by giving a brief outlook on potential applications which range from specific tailoring or stochastic interpolation of wind fields to the modeling of financial data or non-Gaussian features in geophysical or geospatial settings.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2021

Multi-level stochastic refinement for complex time series and fields: A Data-Driven Approach

Spatio-temporally extended nonlinear systems often exhibit a remarkable complexity in space and time. In many cases, extensive datasets of such systems are difficult to obtain, yet needed for a range of applications. Here, we present a method to generate synthetic time series or fields that reproduce statistical multi-scale features of complex systems. The method is based on a hierarchical refinement employing transition probability density functions (PDFs) from one scale to another. We address the case in which such PDFs can be obtained from experimental measurements or simulations and then used to generate arbitrarily large synthetic datasets. The validity of our approach is demonstrated at the example of an experimental dataset of high Reynolds number turbulence.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2021

Stochastic interpolation of sparsely sampled time series via multi-point fractional Brownian bridges

We propose and test a method to interpolate sparsely sampled signals by a stochastic process with a broad range of spatial and/or temporal scales. To this end, we extend the notion of a fractional Brownian bridge, defined as fractional Brownian motion with a given scaling (Hurst) exponent $H$ and with prescribed start and end points, to a bridge process with an arbitrary number of intermediate and non-equidistant points. Determining the optimal value of the Hurst exponent, $H_{opt}$, appropriate to interpolate the sparse signal, is a very important step of our method. We demonstrate the validity of our method on a signal from fluid turbulence in a high Reynolds number flow and discuss the implications of the non-self-similar character of the signal. The method introduced here could be instrumental in several physical problems, including astrophysics, particle tracking, specific tailoring of surrogate data, as well as in domains of natural and social sciences.

physics.data-an↗

arXiv2020

Fluid Simulations of Three-Dimensional Reconnection that Capture the Lower-Hybrid Drift Instability

Fluid models that approximate kinetic effects have received attention recently in the modelling of large scale plasmas such as planetary magnetospheres. In three-dimensional reconnection, both reconnection itself and current sheet instabilities need to be represented appropriately. We show that a heat flux closure based on pressure gradients enables a ten moment fluid model to capture key properties of the lower-hybrid drift instability (LHDI) within a reconnection simulation. Characteristics of the instability are examined with kinetic and fluid continuum models, and its role in the three-dimensional reconnection simulation is analysed. The saturation level of the electromagnetic LHDI is higher than expected which leads to strong kinking of the current sheet. Therefore, the magnitude of the initial perturbation has significant impact on the resulting turbulence.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2020

Generalized description of intermittency in turbulence via stochastic methods

We present a generalized picture of intermittency in turbulence that is based on the theory of stochastic processes. To this end, we rely on the experimentally and numerically verified finding by R.~Friedrich and J.~Peinke [Phys. Rev. Lett. 78, 863 (1997)] that allows for an interpretation of the turbulent energy cascade as a Markov process of the velocity increments in scale. It is explicitly shown that all known phenomenological models of turbulence can be reproduced by the Kramers-Moyal expansion of the velocity increment probability density function that is associated to a Markov process. We compare the different sets of Kramers-Moyal coefficients of each phenomenology and deduce that an accurate description of intermittency should take into account an infinite number of coefficients. This is demonstrated in more detail for the case of Burgers turbulence that exhibits the strongest intermittency effects. Moreover, the influence of nonlocality on the Kramers-Moyal coefficients is investigated by direct numerical simulations of a generalized Burgers equation. Depending on the balance between nonlinearity and nonlocality, we encounter different intermittency behaviour that ranges from self-similarity (purely nonlocal case) to intermittent behaviour (intermediate case that agrees with Yakhot's mean field theory [Phys. Rev. E 63 026307 (2001)]) to shock-like behaviour (purely nonlinear Burgers case).

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2019

A Hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm for sampling rare events in space-time histories of stochastic fields

We introduce a variant of the Hybrid Monte Carlo (HMC) algorithm to address large-deviation statistics in stochastic hydrodynamics. Based on the path-integral approach to stochastic (partial) differential equations, our HMC algorithm samples space-time histories of the dynamical degrees of freedom under the influence of random noise. First, we validate and benchmark the HMC algorithm by reproducing multiscale properties of the one-dimensional Burgers equation driven by Gaussian and white-in-time noise. Second, we show how to implement an importance sampling protocol to significantly enhance, by orders of magnitudes, the probability to sample extreme and rare events, making it possible to estimate moments of field variables of extremely high order (up to 30 and more). By employing reweighting techniques, we map the biased configurations back to the original probability measure in order to probe their statistical importance. Finally, we show that by biasing the system towards very intense negative gradients, the HMC algorithm is able to explore the statistical fluctuations around instanton configurations. Our results will also be interesting and relevant in lattice gauge theory since they provide insight into reweighting techniques.

physics.comp-ph↗

arXiv2017

Longitudinal and transverse structure functions in high Reynolds-number magneto-hydrodynamic turbulence

We investigate the scaling behavior of longitudinal and transverse structure functions in homogeneous and isotropic magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence by means of an exact hierarchy of structure function equations as well as by direct numerical simulations of two- and three-dimensional MHD turbulence. In particular, rescaling relations between longitudinal and transverse structure functions are derived and utilized in order to compare different scaling behavior in the inertial range. It is found that there are no substantial differences between longitudinal and transverse structure functions in MHD turbulence. This finding stands in contrast to the case of hydrodynamic turbulence which shows persistent differences even at high Reynolds numbers. We propose a physical picture that is based on an effective reduction of pressure contributions due to local regions of same magnitude and alignment of velocity and magnetic field fluctuations. Finally, our findings underline the importance of the pressure term for the actually observed scaling differences in hydrodynamic turbulence.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2017

Enhanced conservation properties of Vlasov codes through coupling with conservative fluid models

Many phenomena in collisionless plasma physics require a kinetic description. The evolution of the phase space density can be modeled by means of the Vlasov equation, which has to be solved numerically in most of the relevant cases. One of the problems that often arise in such simulations is the violation of important physical conservation laws. Numerical diffusion in phase space translates into unphysical heating, which can increase the overall energy significantly, depending on the time scale and the plasma regime. In this paper, a general and straightforward way of improving conservation properties of Vlasov schemes is presented that can potentially be applied to a variety of different codes. The basic idea is to use fluid models with good conservation properties for correcting kinetic models. The higher moments that are missing in the fluid models are provided by the kinetic codes, so that both kinetic and fluid codes compensate the weaknesses of each other in a closed feedback loop.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2014

Coupled Vlasov and two-fluid codes on GPUs

We present a way to combine Vlasov and two-fluid codes for the simulation of a collisionless plasma in large domains while keeping full information of the velocity distribution in localized areas of interest. This is made possible by solving the full Vlasov equation in one region while the remaining area is treated by a 5-moment two-fluid code. In such a treatment, the main challenge of coupling kinetic and fluid descriptions is the interchange of physically correct boundary conditions between the different plasma models. In contrast to other treatments, we do not rely on any specific form of the distribution function, e.g. a Maxwellian type. Instead, we combine an extrapolation of the distribution function and a correction of the moments based on the fluid data. Thus, throughout the simulation both codes provide the necessary boundary conditions for each other. A speed-up factor of around 20 is achieved by using GPUs for the computationally expensive solution of the Vlasov equation and an overall factor of at least 60 using the coupling strategy combined with the GPU computation. The coupled codes were then tested on the GEM reconnection challenge.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2010

A Lagrangian model for the evolution of turbulent magnetic and passive scalar fields

In this paper we present an extension of the \emph{Recent Fluid Deformation (RFD)} closure introduced by Chevillard and Meneveau (2006) which was developed for modeling the time evolution of Lagrangian fluctuations in incompressible Navier-Stokes turbulence. We apply the RFD closure to study the evolution of magnetic and passive scalar fluctuations. This comparison is especially interesting since the stretching term for the magnetic field and for the gradient of the passive scalar are similar but differ by a sign such that the effect of stretching and compression by the turbulent velocity field is reversed. Probability density functions (PDFs) of magnetic fluctuations and fluctuations of the gradient of the passive scalar obtained from the RFD closure are compared against PDFs obtained from direct numerical simulations.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2009

Clustering of passive impurities in MHD turbulence

The transport of heavy, neutral or charged, point-like particles by incompressible, resistive magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence is investigated by means of high-resolution numerical simulations. The spatial distribution of such impurities is observed to display strong deviations from homogeneity, both at dissipative and inertial range scales. Neutral particles tend to cluster in the vicinity of coherent vortex sheets due to their viscous drag with the flow, leading to the simultaneous presence of very concentrated and almost empty regions. The signature of clustering is different for charged particles. These exhibit in addition to the drag the Lorentz-force. The regions of spatial inhomogeneities change due to attractive and repulsive vortex sheets. While small charges increase clustering, larger charges have a reverse effect.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2009

Local Turbulence Simulations for the Multiphase ISM

In this paper we show results of numerical simulations for the turbulence in the interstellar medium. These results were obtained using a Riemann solver-free numerical scheme for high-Mach number hyperbolic equations. Here we especially concentrate on the physical properties of the ISM. That is, we do not present turbulence simulations trimmed to be applicable to the interstellar medium. The simulations are rather based on physical estimates for the relevant parameters of the interstellar gas. Applying our code to simulate the turbulent plasma motion within a typical interstellar molecular cloud, we investigate the influence of different equations of state (isothermal and adiabatic) on the statistical properties of the resulting turbulent structures. We find slightly different density power spectra and dispersion maps, while both cases yield qualitatively similar dissipative structures, and exhibit a departure from the classical Kolmogorov case towards a scaling described by the She-Leveque model. Solving the full energy equation with realistic heating/cooling terms appropriate for the diffuse interstellar gas, we are able to reproduce a realistic two-phase distribution of cold and warm plasma. When extracting maps of polarised intensity from our simulation data, we find encouraging similarity to actual observations. Finally, we compare the actual magnetic field strength of our simulations to its value inferred from the rotation measure. We find these to be systematically different by a factor of about 1.5, thus highlighting the often underestimated influence of varying line-of-sight particle densities on the magnetic field strength derived from observed rotation measures.

astro-ph.GA↗

arXiv2008

An exact relation between Eulerian and Lagrangian velocity increment statistics

We present a formal connection between Lagrangian and Eulerian velocity increment distributions which is applicable to a wide range of turbulent systems ranging from turbulence in incompressible fluids to magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. For the case of the inverse cascade regime of two-dimensional turbulence we numerically estimate the transition probabilities involved in this connection. In this context we are able to directly identify the processes leading to strongly non-Gaussian statistics for the Lagrangian velocity increments.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2008

Universal intermittent properties of particle trajectories in highly turbulent flows

We present a collection of eight data sets, from state-of-the-art experiments and numerical simulations on turbulent velocity statistics along particle trajectories obtained in different flows with Reynolds numbers in the range $R_λ\in [120:740]$. Lagrangian structure functions from all data sets are found to collapse onto each other on a wide range of time lags, revealing a universal statistics, and calling for a unified theoretical description. Parisi-Frisch Multifractal theory, suitable extended to the dissipative scales and to the Lagrangian domain, is found to capture intermittency of velocity statistics over the whole three decades of temporal scales here investigated.

nlin.CD↗

arXiv2007

Three-dimensional MHD simulation of expanding magnetic flux ropes

Three-dimensional, time-dependent numerical simulations of the dynamics of magnetic flux ropes are presented. The simulations are targeted towards an experiment previously conducted at CalTech (Bellan, P. M. and J. F. Hansen, Phys. Plasmas, 5, 1991 (1998)) which aimed at simulating Solar prominence eruptions in the laboratory. The plasma dynamics is described by ideal MHD using different models for the evolution of the mass density. Key features of the reported experimental observations like pinching of the current loop, its expansion and distortion into helical shape are reproduced in the numerical simulations. Details of the final structure depend on the choice of a specific model for the mass density.

physics.plasm-ph↗

arXiv2007

Lagrangian Statistics of Navier-Stokes- and MHD-Turbulence

We report on a comparison of high-resolution numerical simulations of Lagrangian particles advected by incompressible turbulent hydro- and magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows. Numerical simulations were performed with up to $1024^3$ collocation points and 10 million particles in the Navier-Stokes case and $512^3$ collocation points and 1 million particles in the MHD case. In the hydrodynamics case our findings compare with recent experiments from Mordant et al. [1] and Xu et al. [2]. They differ from the simulations of Biferale et al. [3] due to differences of the ranges choosen for evaluating the structure functions. In Navier-Stokes turbulence intermittency is stronger than predicted by a multifractal approach of [3] whereas in MHD turbulence the predictions from the multifractal approach are more intermittent than observed in our simulations. In addition, our simulations reveal that Lagrangian Navier-Stokes turbulence is more intermittent than MHD turbulence, whereas the situation is reversed in the Eulerian case. Those findings can not consistently be described by the multifractal modeling. The crucial point is that the geometry of the dissipative structures have different implications for Lagrangian and Eulerian intermittency. Application of the multifractal approach for the modeling of the acceleration PDFs works well for the Navier-Stokes case but in the MHD case just the tails are well described.

physics.plasm-ph↗