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Walter Boscheri

Publications and source records attributed to Walter Boscheri.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2026

A Structure- and Pressure-Positivity-Preserving Semi-implicit IMEX Finite Volume Scheme for Ideal MHD at All Acoustic Mach and Alfv\'en Mach Numbers with Generic Equation of State

We present a conservative, structure-preserving, finite-volume scheme for ideal MHD that ensures pressure positivity, remains applicable across all Mach and Alfven regimes, and handles general nonlinear equations of state. The scheme splits the MHD system into three sub-systems according to characteristic wave scales: an advective part for hydrodynamic transport, a magnetic part for velocity-field coupling, and a pressure part for pressure-velocity coupling. Nonlinear advective terms are explicit, while the other two sub-systems are implicit, yielding a mild, velocity-based CFL condition that is supported by extensive numerical evidence. This makes the scheme suitable for gas-pressure or magnetic-pressure dominated regimes and the incompressible limit. The implicit discretisation gives a pressure equation that reduces to an elliptic form in the low-Mach limit for ideal gases and general thermodynamics. Pressure positivity is ensured via a local conservation-preserving modification of the pressure-internal-energy relation, avoiding a posteriori clipping while preserving conservation. The divergence-free constraint is enforced exactly via constrained transport. Second-order accuracy is achieved with an IMEX Runge-Kutta time integration, TVD reconstruction for explicit fluxes, and central discretisation for implicit terms. The scheme is validated against numerous benchmarks, including high- and low-Mach regimes, strongly magnetised flows, and standard MHD shock problems in 1D and 2D, demonstrating accuracy, stability, and excellent shock-capturing.

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arXiv2026

Minimization-based polynomial corrections for high-order curved boundaries on fixed and moving domains: assessment on finite volume and discontinuous Galerkin schemes

In this work, we present two novel strategies to impose high-order boundary conditions on fixed and moving curved domains, approximated with piecewise affine triangulations. Achieving high-order accuracy on curved domains requires tackling both the PDE discretization error and the geometrical error simultaneously. While the former can be reduced by employing high-order numerical methods such as finite volume and discontinuous Galerkin, the latter demands either a high-order parametrization of the physical domain or a consistent approximation of the boundary conditions. Minimization-based approaches like the Reconstruction for Off-site Data (ROD) method allow one to skip the construction of high-order curvilinear meshes by defining high-order consistent boundary conditions on a computational boundary that does not match the physical one. The ROD approach mitigates the second-order geometrical error by retrieving a modified polynomial in each boundary cell, which enforces the boundary conditions exactly on the physical boundary. However, the standard ROD method requires the inversion of a local linear system, whose cost grows with the polynomial degree and mesh refinement. Inspired by a recent one-dimensional analysis, we show that ROD-type approaches can be recast as simple polynomial corrections, applicable without any linear system inversion. This greatly simplifies the development of minimization-based boundary treatments and reduces the associated computational cost. To prove the wide applicability of our strategy, we develop it within a Runge-Kutta discontinuous Galerkin framework and an ADER arbitrary-Lagrangian-Eulerian finite volume framework for compressible flows on fixed and moving domains. Several numerical experiments with Dirichlet and slip-wall boundary conditions are presented, with convergence analysis up to fifth order in both 2D and 3D.

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arXiv2026

Continuous 3D Finite Element Subgrid Basis Functions for Discontinuous Galerkin Methods on Polyhedral Meshes

We present a novel high-order accurate nodal discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method for solving nonlinear hyperbolic systems of partial differential equations (PDEs) on fully unstructured three-dimensional polyhedral meshes. A mesh generator is firstly discussed in detail, which ensures the generation of admissible control volumes. For the first time, we then extend the concept of agglomerated finite element (AFE) basis functions to polyhedral grids. In this context, the discrete solution is represented within each polyhedral element using piecewise continuous polynomials of degree N, defined on an internal tetrahedral subgrid. The AFE basis functions are therefore constructed by agglomerating standard finite element basis functions on each sub-tetrahedron of the computational cell. This allows for the precomputation of universal local matrices (mass and stiffness) on the reference element given by the unit tetrahedron, enabling a quadrature-free implementation that remains efficient even on highly irregular polyhedral meshes. High-order of accuracy in time is achieved using a local spacetime Galerkin predictor as part of the ADER approach, applied independently within each polyhedral element. To ensure robustness in the presence of discontinuities such as shocks, an artificial viscosity limiter is embedded into the numerical scheme, allowing for controlled dissipation and stabilization without compromising the overall accuracy in smooth regions. To demonstrate the robustness and accuracy of the method, we validate it through different three-dimensional benchmark problems for the compressible Euler and Navier-Stokes equations.

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arXiv2025

A structure-preserving semi-implicit four-split scheme for continuum mechanics

We introduce a novel structure-preserving vertex-staggered semi-implicit four-split discretization of a unified first order hyperbolic formulation of continuum mechanics that is able to describe at the same time fluid and solid materials within the same mathematical model. The governing PDE system goes back to pioneering work of Godunov, Romenski, Peshkov and collaborators. Previous structure-preserving discretizations of this system allowed to respect the curl-free properties of the distortion field and the specific thermal impulse in the absence of source terms and were consistent with the low Mach number limit with respect to the adiabatic sound speed. However, the evolution of the thermal impulse and the distortion field were still discretized explicitly, thus requiring a rather severe CFL stability restriction on the time step based on the shear sound speed and the finite, but potentially large, speed of heat waves. Instead, the new four-split semi-implicit scheme presented in this paper has a material time step restriction only. For this purpose, the governing PDE system is split into four subsystems: i) a convective subsystem, which is the only one that is treated explicitly; ii) a heat subsystem, iii) a subsystem containing momentum, distortion field and specific thermal impulse; iv) a pressure subsystem. The three subsystems ii)-iv) are all discretized implicitly, hence a rather mild CFL restriction based on the velocity of the continuum is imposed. The method is asymptotically consistent with the low Mach number limit and the stiff relaxation limits. Moreover, it maintains an exactly curl-free distortion field and thermal impulse in the case of linear source terms or in their absence. The scheme is benchmarked against classical test cases verifying its theoretical properties.

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arXiv2025

SCOUT: Semi-Lagrangian COnservative and Unconditionally sTable schemes for nonlinear advection-diffusion problems

In this work, we propose a new semi-Lagrangian (SL) finite difference scheme for nonlinear advection-diffusion problems. To ensure conservation, which is fundamental for achieving physically consistent solutions, the governing equations are integrated over a space-time control volume constructed along the characteristic curves originating from each computational point. By applying Gauss theorem, all space-time surface integrals can be evaluated. For nonlinear problems, a nonlinear equation must be solved to find the foot of the characteristic, while this is not needed in linear cases. This formulation yields SL schemes that are fully conservative and unconditionally stable, as verified by numerical experiments with CFL numbers up to 100. Moreover, the diffusion terms are, for the first time, directly incorporated within a conservative semi-Lagrangian framework, leading to the development of a novel characteristic-based Crank-Nicolson discretization in which the diffusion contribution is implicitly evaluated at the foot of the characteristic. A broad set of benchmark tests demonstrates the accuracy, robustness, and strict conservation property of the proposed method, as well as its unconditional stability.

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arXiv2025

Semi-implicit strategies for the Serre-Green-Naghdi equations in hyperbolic form. Is hyperbolic relaxation really a good idea?

The Serre-Green-Naghdi (SGN) equations provide a valuable framework for modelling fully nonlinear and weakly dispersive shallow-water flows. However, their elliptic formulation can considerably increase the computational cost compared to the Saint-Venant equations. To overcome this difficulty, hyperbolic models (hSGN) have been proposed that replace the elliptic operators with first-order hyperbolic formulations augmented by relaxation terms, which recover the original elliptic formulation in the stiff limit. Yet, as the relaxation parameter λincreases, explicit schemes face restrictive stability constraints that may offset these advantages. To mitigate this limitation, we introduce a semi-implicit (SI) integration strategy for the hSGN system, where the stiff acoustic terms are treated implicitly within an IMEX Runge-Kutta framework, while the advective components remain explicit. The proposed approach mitigates the CFL stability restriction and maintains dispersive accuracy at a moderate computational cost. Numerical results confirm that the combination of hyperbolization and semi-implicit time integration provides an efficient and accurate alternative to both classical SGN and fully explicit hSGN solvers.

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arXiv2025

Virtual finite element and hyperbolic problems: the PAMPA algorithm

In this paper, we explore the use of the Virtual Element Method concepts to solve scalar and system hyperbolic problems on general polygonal grids. The new schemes stem from the active flux approach \cite{AF1}, which combines the usage of point values at the element boundaries with an additional degree of freedom representing the average of the solution within each control volume. Along the lines of the family of residual distribution schemes introduced in \cite{Abgrall_AF,abgrall2023activefluxtriangularmeshes} \red{that integrate the active flux technique}, we devise novel third order accurate methods that rely on the VEM technology to discretize gradients of the numerical solution by means of a polynomial-free approximation, \red{by} adopting a virtual basis that is locally defined for each element. The obtained discretization is globally continuous, and for nonlinear problems it needs a stabilization which is provided by \new{a monolithic convex limiting strategy extended from \cite{Abgrall_BP_PAMPA}}. This is applied to both point and average values of the discrete solution. We show applications to scalar problems, as well as to the acoustics and Euler equations in two dimension. The accuracy and the robustness of the proposed schemes are assessed against a suite of benchmarks involving smooth solutions, shock waves and other discontinuities.

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arXiv2025

Structure Preserving Finite Volume Schemes on Voronoi Grids: Curl Involution, Asymptotic Limit and Thermodynamics

We propose a new curl-free and thermodynamically compatible finite volume scheme on Voronoi grids to solve compressible heat conducting flows written in first-order hyperbolic form. The approach is based on the definition of compatible discrete curl-grad operators, exploiting the triangular nature of the dual mesh. We design a cell solver reminiscent of the nodal solvers used in Lagrangian schemes to discretize the evolution equation for the thermal impulse vector, and we demonstrate that the resulting numerical scheme ensures energy conservation, local non-negative entropy production, as well as asymptotic consistency with the classical Fourier law in the stiff relaxation limit. A novel technique is proposed to transfer residuals from the dual to the primal mesh as subfluxes, which eventually yields the construction of entropy compatible semi-discrete methods. The scheme and its properties are validated on a set of numerical test cases.

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arXiv2025

Multi-Order Monte Carlo IMEX hierarchies for uncertainty quantification in multiscale hyperbolic systems

We introduce a novel Multi-Order Monte Carlo approach for uncertainty quantification in the context of multiscale time-dependent partial differential equations. The new framework leverages Implicit-Explicit Runge-Kutta time integrators to satisfy the asymptotic-preserving property across different discretization orders of accuracy. In contrast to traditional Multi-Level Monte Carlo methods, which require costly hierarchical re-meshing, our method constructs a multi-order hierarchy by varying both spatial and temporal discretization orders within the Monte Carlo framework. This enables efficient variance reduction while naturally adapting to the multiple scales inherent in the problem ensuring asymptotic consistency. The proposed method is particularly well-suited for hyperbolic systems with stiff relaxation, kinetic equations, and low Mach number flows, where standard Multi-Level Monte Carlo techniques often encounter computational challenges. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the novel Multi-Order Monte Carlo approach achieves substantial reduction of both error and variance while maintaining asymptotic consistency in the asymptotic limit.

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arXiv2025

A structure-preserving and thermodynamically compatible cell-centered Lagrangian finite volume scheme for continuum mechanics

In this work we present a novel structure-preserving scheme for the discretization of the Godunov-Peshkov-Romenski (GPR) model of continuum mechanics written in Lagrangian form. This model admits an extra conservation law for the total energy (first principle of thermodynamics) and satisfies the entropy inequality (second principle of thermodynamics). Furthermore, in the absence of algebraic source terms, the distortion field of the continuum and the specific thermal impulse satisfy a curl-free condition, provided the initial data are curl-free. Last but not least, the determinant of the distortion field is related to the density of the medium, i.e. the system is also endowed with a nonlinear algebraic constraint. The objective of this work is to construct and analyze a new semi-discrete thermodynamically compatible cell-centered Lagrangian finite volume scheme on moving unstructured meshes that satisfies the following structural properties of the governing PDE exactly at the discrete level: i) compatibility with the first law of thermodynamics, i.e. discrete total energy conservation; ii) compatibility with the second law of thermodynamics, i.e. discrete entropy inequality; iii) exact discrete compatibility between the density and the determinant of the distortion field; iv) exact preservation of the curl-free property of the distortion field and of the specific thermal impulse in the absence of algebraic source terms. We show that it is possible to achieve all above properties simultaneously. Unlike in existing schemes, we choose to directly discretize the entropy inequality, hence obtaining total energy conservation as a consequence of an appropriate and thermodynamically compatible discretization of all the other equations.

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arXiv2025

High order treatment of moving curved boundaries: Arbitrary-Lagrangian-Eulerian methods with a shifted boundary polynomials correction

In this paper we present a novel approach for the prescription of high order boundary conditions when approximating the solution of the Euler equations for compressible gas dynamics on curved moving domains. When dealing with curved boundaries, the consistency of boundary conditions is a real challenge, and it becomes even more challenging in the context of moving domains discretized with high order Arbitrary-Lagrangian-Eulerian (ALE) schemes. The ALE formulation is particularly well-suited for handling moving and deforming domains, thus allowing for the simulation of complex fluid-structure interaction problems. However, if not properly treated, the imposition of boundary conditions can lead to significant errors in the numerical solution, which can spoil the high order discretization of the underlying mathematical model. In order to tackle this issue, we propose a new method based on the recently developed shifted boundary polynomial correction, which was originally proposed on fixed meshes. The new method is integrated into the space-time corrector step of a direct ALE finite volume method to account for the local curvature of the moving boundary by only exploiting the high order reconstruction polynomial of the finite volume control volume. It relies on a correction based on the extrapolated value of the cell polynomial evaluated at the true geometry, thus not requiring the explicit evaluation of high order Taylor series. This greatly simplifies the treatment of moving curved boundaries, as it allows for the use of standard simplicial meshes, which are much easier to generate and move than curvilinear ones, especially for 3D time-dependent problems. Several numerical experiments are presented demonstrating the high order convergence properties of the new method in the context of compressible flows in moving curved domains, which remain approximated by piecewise linear elements.

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arXiv2025

A numerical method based on quasi-Lagrangian Voronoi cells for two-phase flows with large density contrast

In this work, we use a moving Voronoi and sharp interface approach for simulating two-phase flows. At every time step, the mesh is generated anew from Voronoi seeds that behave as material points. The paper is a continuation of our previous works on moving Voronoi meshes where we have considered single phase incompressible and compressible flows. In the context of quasi-Lagrangian Voronoi simulations, problems with large density contrasts (such as water and air interface) are being treated here for the first time to the best of our knowledge. This is made possible through a remapping stage, which relies on a filtering of a color function. The resulting semi-implicit scheme is conservative and robust, allowing us to simulate both compressible and incompressible flows, including shock waves and surface tension.

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arXiv2024

Semi-Implicit Lagrangian Voronoi Approximation for Compressible Viscous Fluid Flows

This paper contributes to the recent investigations of Lagrangian methods based on Voronoi meshes. The aim is to design a new conservative numerical scheme that can simulate complex flows and multi-phase problems with more accuracy than SPH (Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics) methods but, unlike diffuse interface models on fixed grid topology, does not suffer from the deteriorating quality of the computational grid. The numerical solution is stored at particles, which move with the fluid velocity and also play the role of the generators of the computational mesh, that is efficiently re-constructed at each time step. The main novelty stems from combining a Lagrangian Voronoi scheme with a semi-implicit integrator for compressible flows. This allows to model low-Mach number flows without the extremely stringent stability constraint on the time step and with the correct scaling of numerical viscosity. The implicit linear system for the unknown pressure is obtained by splitting the reversible from the irreversible (viscous) part of the dynamics, and then using entropy conservation of the reversible sub-system to derive an auxiliary elliptic equation. The method, called SILVA (Semi-Implicit Lagrangian Voronoi Approximation), is validated in a variety of test cases that feature diverse Mach numbers, shocks and multi-phase flows.

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arXiv2024

Discontinuous Galerkin schemes for hyperbolic systems in non-conservative variables: quasi-conservative formulation with subcell finite volume corrections

We present a novel quasi-conservative arbitrary high order accurate ADER discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method allowing to efficiently use a non-conservative form of the considered partial differential system, so that the governing equations can be solved directly in the most physically relevant set of variables. This is particularly interesting for multi-material flows with moving interfaces and steep, large magnitude contact discontinuities, as well as in presence of highly non-linear thermodynamics. However, the non-conservative formulation of course introduces a conservation error which would normally lead to a wrong approximation of shock waves. Hence, from the theoretical point of view, we give a formal definition of the conservation defect of non-conservative schemes and we analyze this defect providing a local quasi-conservation condition, which allows us to prove a modified Lax-Wendroff theorem. Then, to deal with shock waves in practice, we exploit the framework of the so-called a posteriori subcell finite volume (FV) limiter, so that, in troubled cells appropriately detected, we can incorporate a local conservation correction. Our corrected FV update entirely removes the local conservation defect, allowing, at least formally, to fit in the hypotheses of the proposed modified Lax-Wendroff theorem. Here, the shock-triggered troubled cells are detected by combining physical admissibility criteria, a discrete maximum principle and a shock sensor inspired by Lagrangian hydrodynamics. To prove the capabilities of our novel approach, first, we show that we are able to recover the same results given by conservative schemes on classical benchmarks for the single-fluid Euler equations. We then conclude by showing the improved reliability of our scheme on the multi-fluid Euler system on examples like the interaction of a shock with a helium bubble.

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arXiv2024

An all Mach number semi-implicit hybrid Finite Volume/Virtual Element method for compressible viscous flows on Voronoi meshes

We present a novel high order semi-implicit hybrid finite volume/virtual element numerical scheme for the solution of compressible flows on Voronoi tessellations. The method relies on the flux splitting of the compressible Navier-Stokes equations into three sub-systems: a convective sub-system solved explicitly using a finite volume (FV) scheme, and the viscous and pressure sub-systems which are discretized implicitly at the aid of a virtual element method (VEM). Consequently, the time step restriction of the overall algorithm depends only on the mean flow velocity and not on the fast pressure waves nor on the viscous eigenvalues. As such, the proposed methodology is well suited for the solution of low Mach number flows at all Reynolds numbers. Moreover, the scheme is proven to be globally energy conserving so that shock capturing properties are retrieved in high Mach number flows. To reach high order of accuracy in time and space, an IMEX Runge-Kutta time stepping strategy is employed together with high order spatial reconstructions in terms of CWENO polynomials and virtual element space basis functions. The chosen discretization techniques allow the use of general polygonal grids, a useful tool when dealing with complex domain configurations. The new scheme is carefully validated in both the incompressible limit and the high Mach number regime through a large set of classical benchmarks for fluid dynamics, assessing robustness and accuracy.

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arXiv2024

Semi-implicit Lagrangian Voronoi Approximation for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations

We introduce Semi-Implicit Lagrangian Voronoi Approximation (SILVA), a novel numerical method for the solution of the incompressible Euler and Navier-Stokes equations, which combines the efficiency of semi-implicit time marching schemes with the robustness of time-dependent Voronoi tessellations. In SILVA, the numerical solution is stored at particles, which move with the fluid velocity and also play the role of the generators of the computational mesh. The Voronoi mesh is rapidly regenerated at each time step, allowing large deformations with topology changes. As opposed to the reconnection-based Arbitrary-Lagrangian-Eulerian schemes, we need no remapping stage. A semi-implicit scheme is devised in the context of moving Voronoi meshes to project the velocity field onto a divergence-free manifold. We validate SILVA by illustrative benchmarks, including viscous, inviscid, and multi-phase flows. Compared to its closest competitor, the Incompressible Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (ISPH) method, SILVA offers a sparser stiffness matrix and facilitates the implementation of no-slip and free-slip boundary conditions.

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arXiv2024

A structure-preserving semi-implicit IMEX finite volume scheme for ideal magnetohydrodynamics at all Mach and Alfvén numbers

We present a divergence-free semi-implicit finite volume scheme for the simulation of the ideal magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) equations which is stable for large time steps controlled by the local transport speed at all Mach and Alfvén numbers. An operator splitting technique allows to treat the convective terms explicitly while the hydrodynamic pressure and the magnetic field contributions are integrated implicitly, yielding two decoupled linear implicit systems. The linearity of the implicit part is achieved by means of a semi-implicit time linearization. This structure is favorable as second-order accuracy in time can be achieved relying on the class of semi-implicit IMplicit-EXplicit Runge-Kutta (IMEX-RK) methods. In space, implicit cell-centered finite difference operators are designed to discretely preserve the divergence-free property of the magnetic field on three-dimensional Cartesian meshes. The new scheme is also particularly well suited for low Mach number flows and for the incompressible limit of the MHD equations, since no explicit numerical dissipation is added to the implicit contribution and the time step is scale independent. Likewise, highly magnetized flows can benefit from the implicit treatment of the magnetic fluxes, hence improving the computational efficiency of the novel method. The convective terms undergo a shock-capturing second order finite volume discretization to guarantee the effectiveness of the proposed method even for high Mach number flows. The new scheme is benchmarked against a series of test cases for the ideal MHD equations addressing different acoustic and Alfvén Mach number regimes where the performance and the stability of the new scheme is assessed.

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