arXiv subjects

Weiqun Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to Weiqun Zhang.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2020

Preparing Nuclear Astrophysics for Exascale

Astrophysical explosions such as supernovae are fascinating events that require sophisticated algorithms and substantial computational power to model. Castro and MAESTROeX are nuclear astrophysics codes that simulate thermonuclear fusion in the context of supernovae and X-ray bursts. Examining these nuclear burning processes using high resolution simulations is critical for understanding how these astrophysical explosions occur. In this paper we describe the changes that have been made to these codes to transform them from standard MPI + OpenMP codes targeted at petascale CPU-based systems into a form compatible with the pre-exascale systems now online and the exascale systems coming soon. We then discuss what new science is possible to run on systems such as Summit and Perlmutter that could not have been achieved on the previous generation of supercomputers.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2019

A Fourth-Order Adaptive Mesh Refinement Algorithm for the Multicomponent, Reacting Compressible Navier-Stokes Equations

In this paper we present a fourth-order in space and time block-structured adaptive mesh refinement algorithm for the compressible multicomponent reacting Navier-Stokes equations. The algorithm uses a finite volume approach that incorporates a fourth-order discretization of the convective terms. The time stepping algorithm is based on a multi-level spectral deferred corrections method that enables explicit treatment of advection and diffusion coupled with an implicit treatment of reactions. The temporal scheme is embedded in a block-structured adaptive mesh refinement algorithm that includes subcycling in time with spectral deferred correction sweeps applied on levels. Here we present the details of the multi-level scheme paying particular attention to the treatment of coarse-fine boundaries required to maintain fourth-order accuracy in time. We then demonstrate the convergence properties of the algorithm on several test cases including both nonreacting and reacting flows. Finally we present simulations of a vitiated dimethyl ether jet in 2D and a turbulent hydrogen jet in 3D, both with detailed kinetics and transport.

physics.flu-dyn↗

arXiv2017

Very Low Energy Supernovae: Light Curves and Spectra of Shock Breakout

The brief transient emitted as a shock wave erupts through the surface of a presupernova star carries information about the stellar radius and explosion energy. Here the CASTRO code, which treats radiation transport using multigroup flux-limited diffusion, is used to simulate the light curves and spectra of shock breakout in very low-energy supernovae (VLE SNe), explosions in giant stars with final kinetic energy much less than 10$^{51}$ erg. VLE SNe light curves, computed here with the KEPLER code, are distinctively faint, red, and long-lived, making them challenging to find with transient surveys. The accompanying shock breakouts are brighter, though briefer, and potentially easier to detect. Previous analytic work provides general guidance, but numerical simulations are challenging due to the range of conditions and lack of equilibration between color and effective temperatures. We consider previous analytic work and extend discussions of color temperature and opacity to the lower energy range explored by these events. Since this is the first application of the CASTRO code to shock breakout, test simulations of normal energy shock breakout of SN1987A are carried out and compared with the literature. A set of breakout light curves and spectra are then calculated for VLE SNe with final kinetic energies in the range $10^{47} - 10^{50}$ ergs for red supergiants with main sequence masses 15 Msun and 25 Msun. The importance of uncertainties in stellar atmosphere model, opacity, and ambient medium is discussed, as are observational prospects with current and forthcoming missions.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2016

BoxLib with Tiling: An AMR Software Framework

In this paper we introduce a block-structured adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) software framework that incorporates tiling, a well-known loop transformation. Because the multiscale, multiphysics codes built in BoxLib are designed to solve complex systems at high resolution, performance on current and next generation architectures is essential. With the expectation of many more cores per node on next generation architectures, the ability to effectively utilize threads within a node is essential, and the current model for parallelization will not be sufficient. We describe a new version of BoxLib in which the tiling constructs are embedded so that BoxLib-based applications can easily realize expected performance gains without extra effort on the part of the application developer. We also discuss a path forward to enable future versions of BoxLib to take advantage of NUMA-aware optimizations using the TiDA portable library.

cs.MS↗

arXiv2016

White Dwarf Mergers on Adaptive Meshes I. Methodology and Code Verification

The Type Ia supernova progenitor problem is one of the most perplexing and exciting problems in astrophysics, requiring detailed numerical modeling to complement observations of these explosions. One possible progenitor that has merited recent theoretical attention is the white dwarf merger scenario, which has the potential to naturally explain many of the observed characteristics of Type Ia supernovae. To date there have been relatively few self-consistent simulations of merging white dwarf systems using mesh-based hydrodynamics. This is the first paper in a series describing simulations of these systems using a hydrodynamics code with adaptive mesh refinement. In this paper we describe our numerical methodology and discuss our implementation in the compressible hydrodynamics code CASTRO, which solves the Euler equations, and the Poisson equation for self-gravity, and couples the gravitational and rotation forces to the hydrodynamics. Standard techniques for coupling gravitation and rotation forces to the hydrodynamics do not adequately conserve the total energy of the system for our problem, but recent advances in the literature allow progress and we discuss our implementation here. We present a set of test problems demonstrating the extent to which our software sufficiently models a system where large amounts of mass are advected on the computational domain over long timescales. Future papers in this series will describe our treatment of the initial conditions of these systems and will examine the early phases of the merger to determine its viability for triggering a thermonuclear detonation.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

Two-Dimensional Core-Collapse Supernova Models with Multi-Dimensional Transport

We present new two-dimensional (2D) axisymmetric neutrino radiation/hydrodynamic models of core-collapse supernova (CCSN) cores. We use the CASTRO code, which incorporates truly multi-dimensional, multi-group, flux-limited diffusion (MGFLD) neutrino transport, including all relevant $\mathcal{O}(v/c)$ terms. Our main motivation for carrying out this study is to compare with recent 2D models produced by other groups who have obtained explosions for some progenitor stars and with recent 2D VULCAN results that did not incorporate $\mathcal{O}(v/c)$ terms. We follow the evolution of 12, 15, 20, and 25 solar-mass progenitors to approximately 600 milliseconds after bounce and do not obtain an explosion in any of these models. Though the reason for the qualitative disagreement among the groups engaged in CCSN modeling remains unclear, we speculate that the simplifying ``ray-by-ray' approach employed by all other groups may be compromising their results. We show that ``ray-by-ray' calculations greatly exaggerate the angular and temporal variations of the neutrino fluxes, which we argue are better captured by our multi-dimensional MGFLD approach. On the other hand, our 2D models also make approximations, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions concerning the root of the differences between groups. We discuss some of the diagnostics often employed in the analyses of CCSN simulations and highlight the intimate relationship between the various explosion conditions that have been proposed. Finally, we explore the ingredients that may be missing in current calculations that may be important in reproducing the properties of the average CCSNe, should the delayed neutrino-heating mechanism be the correct mechanism of explosion.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2010

Off-Axis Gamma-Ray Burst Afterglow Modeling Based On A Two-Dimensional Axisymmetric Hydrodynamics Simulation

Starting as highly relativistic collimated jets, gamma-ray burst outflows gradually decelerate and become non-relativistic spherical blast waves. Although detailed analytical solutions describing the afterglow emission received by an on-axis observer during both the early and late phases of the outflow evolution exist, a calculation of the received flux during the intermediate phase and for an off-axis observer requires either a more simplified analytical model or direct numerical simulations of the outflow dynamics. In this paper we present light curves for off-axis observers covering the long-term evolution of the blast wave calculated from a high resolution two-dimensional relativistic hydrodynamics simulation using a synchrotron radiation model. We compare our results to earlier analytical work and calculate the consequence of the observer angle with respect to the jet axis both for the detection of orphan afterglows and for jet break fits to the observational data. We find that observable jet breaks can be delayed for up to several weeks for off-axis observers, potentially leading to overestimation of the beaming corrected total energy. When using our off-axis light curves to create synthetic Swift X-ray data, we find that jet breaks are likely to remain hidden in the data. We also confirm earlier results in the literature finding that only a very small number of local Type Ibc supernovae can harbor an orphan afterglow.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2009

The Dynamics and Afterglow Radiation of Gamma-Ray Bursts. I. Constant Density Medium

Direct multi-dimensional numerical simulation is the most reliable approach for calculating the fluid dynamics and observational signatures of relativistic jets in gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). We present a two-dimensional relativistic hydrodynamic simulation of a GRB outflow during the afterglow phase, which uses the fifth-order weighted essentially non-oscillatory scheme and adaptive mesh refinement. Initially, the jet has a Lorentz factor of 20. We have followed its evolution up to 150 years. Using the hydrodynamic data, we calculate synchrotron radiation based upon standard afterglow models and compare our results with previous analytic work. We find that the sideways expansion of a relativistic GRB jet is a very slow process and previous analytic works have overestimated its rate. In our computed lightcurves, a very sharp jet break is seen and the post-break lightcurves are steeper than analytic predictions. We find that the jet break in GRB afterglow lightcurves is mainly caused by the missing flux when the edge of the jet is observed. The outflow becomes nonrelativistic at the end of the Blandford-McKee phase. But it is still highly nonspherical, and it takes a rather long time for it to become a spherical Sedov-von Neumann-Taylor blast wave. We find that the late-time afterglows become increasingly flatter over time. But we disagree with the common notion that there is a sudden flattening in lightcurves due to the transition into the Sedov-von Neumann-Taylor solution. We have also found that there is a bump in lightcurves at very late times ($\sim 1000$ days) due to radiation from the counter jet. We speculate that such a counter jet bump might have already been observed in GRB 980703.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2009

A Dynamical Model for the Evolution of a Pulsar Wind Nebula inside a Non-Radiative Supernova Remnant

A pulsar wind nebula inside a supernova remnant provides a unique insight into the properties of the central neutron star, the relativistic wind powered by its loss of rotational energy, its progenitor supernova, and the surrounding environment. In this paper, we present a new semi-analytic model for the evolution of such a pulsar wind nebula which couples the dynamical and radiative evolution of the pulsar wind nebulae, traces the evolution of the pulsar wind nebulae throughout the lifetime of the supernova remnant produced by the progenitor explosion, and predicts both the dynamical and radiative properties of the pulsar wind nebula during this period. We also discuss the expected evolution for a particular set of these parameters, and show it reproduces many puzzling features of known young and old pulsar wind nebulae. The model also predicts spectral features during different phases of its evolution detectable with new radio and gamma-ray observing facilities. Finally, this model has implications for determining if pulsar wind nebulae can explain the recent measurements of the cosmic ray positron fraction by PAMELA and the cosmic ray lepton spectrum by ATIC and HESS.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2009

Three-Dimensional Relativistic MHD Simulations of the Kelvin-Helmholtz Instability: Magnetic Field Amplification by a Turbulent Dynamo

Magnetic field strengths inferred for relativistic outflows including gamma-ray bursts (GRB) and active galactic nuclei (AGN) are larger than naively expected by orders of magnitude. We present three-dimensional relativistic magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations demonstrating amplification and saturation of magnetic field by a macroscopic turbulent dynamo triggered by the Kelvin-Helmholtz shear instability. We find rapid growth of electromagnetic energy due to the stretching and folding of field lines in the turbulent velocity field resulting from non-linear development of the instability. Using conditions relevant for GRB internal shocks and late phases of GRB afterglow, we obtain amplification of the electromagnetic energy fraction to $ε_B \sim 5 \times 10^{-3}$. This value decays slowly after the shear is dissipated and appears to be largely independent of the initial field strength. The conditions required for operation of the dynamo are the presence of velocity shear and some seed magnetization both of which are expected to be commonplace. We also find that the turbulent kinetic energy spectrum for the case studied obeys Kolmogorov's 5/3 law and that the electromagnetic energy spectrum is essentially flat with the bulk of the electromagnetic energy at small scales.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

Relativistic Hydrodynamic Flows Using Spatial and Temporal Adaptive Structured Mesh Refinement

Astrophysical relativistic flow problems require high resolution three-dimensional numerical simulations. In this paper, we describe a new parallel three-dimensional code for simulations of special relativistic hydrodynamics (SRHD) using both spatially and temporally structured adaptive mesh refinement (AMR). We used the method of lines to discretize the SRHD equations spatially and a total variation diminishing (TVD) Runge-Kutta scheme for time integration. For spatial reconstruction, we have implemented piecewise linear method (PLM), piecewise parabolic method (PPM), third order convex essentially non-oscillatory (CENO) and third and fifth order weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) schemes. Flux is computed using either direct flux reconstruction or approximate Riemann solvers including HLL, modified Marquina flux, local Lax-Friedrichs flux formulas and HLLC. The AMR part of the code is built on top of the cosmological Eulerian AMR code {\sl enzo}. We discuss the coupling of the AMR framework with the relativistic solvers. Via various test problems, we emphasize the importance of resolution studies in relativistic flow simulations because extremely high resolution is required especially when shear flows are present in the problem. We also present the results of two 3d simulations of astrophysical jets: AGN jets and GRB jets. Resolution study of those two cases further highlights the need of high resolutions to calculate accurately relativistic flow problems.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

Fallback and Black Hole Production in Massive Stars

The compact remnants of core collapse supernovae - neutron stars and black holes - have properties that reflect both the structure of their stellar progenitors and the physics of the explosion. In particular, the masses of these remnants are sensitive to the density structure of the presupernova star and to the explosion energy. To a considerable extent, the final mass is determined by the ``fallback'', during the explosion, of matter that initially moves outwards, yet ultimately fails to escape. We consider here the simulated explosion of a large number of massive stars (10 to 100 \Msun) of Population I (solar metallicity) and III (zero metallicity), and find systematic differences in the remnant mass distributions. As pointed out by Chevalier(1989), supernovae in more compact progenitor stars have stronger reverse shocks and experience more fallback. For Population III stars above about 25 \Msun and explosion energies less than $1.5 \times 10^{51}$ erg, black holes are a common outcome, with masses that increase monotonically with increasing main sequence mass up to a maximum hole mass of about 35 \Msun. If such stars produce primary nitrogen, however, their black holes are systematically smaller. For modern supernovae with nearly solar metallicity, black hole production is much less frequent and the typical masses, which depend sensitively on explosion energy, are smaller. We explore the neutron star initial mass function for both populations and, for reasonable assumptions about the initial mass cut of the explosion, find good agreement with the average of observed masses of neutron stars in binaries. We also find evidence for a bimodal distribution of neutron star masses with a spike around 1.2 \Msun (gravitational mass) and a broader distribution peaked around 1.4 \Msun.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2007

Models for Gamma-Ray Bursts and Diverse Transients

The observational diversity of ``gamma-ray bursts'' (GRBs) has been increasing, and the natural inclination is a proliferation of models. We explore the possibility that at least part of this diversity is a consequence of a single basic model for the central engine operating in a massive star of variable mass, differential rotation rate, and mass loss rate. Whatever that central engine may be - and here the collapsar is used as a reference point - it must be capable of generating both a narrowly collimated, highly relativistic jet to make the GRB, and a wide angle, sub-relativistic outflow responsible for exploding the star and making the supernova bright. To some extent, the two components may vary independently, so it is possible to produce a variety of jet energies and supernova luminosities. We explore, in particular, the production of low energy bursts and find a lower limit, $\sim10^{48}$ erg s$^{-1}$ to the power required for a jet to escape a massive star before that star either explodes or is accreted. Lower energy bursts and and ``suffocated'' bursts may be particularly prevalent when the metallicity is high, i.e., in the modern universe at low redshift.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

RAM: A Relativistic Adaptive Mesh Refinement Hydrodynamics Code

We have developed a new computer code, RAM, to solve the conservative equations of special relativistic hydrodynamics (SRHD) using adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) on parallel computers. We have implemented a characteristic-wise, finite difference, weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) scheme using the full characteristic decomposition of the SRHD equations to achieve fifth-order accuracy in space. For time integration we use the method of lines with a third-order total variation diminishing (TVD) Runge-Kutta scheme. We have also implemented fourth and fifth order Runge-Kutta time integration schemes for comparison. The implementation of AMR and parallelization is based on the FLASH code. RAM is modular and includes the capability to easily swap hydrodynamics solvers, reconstruction methods and physics modules. In addition to WENO we have implemented a finite volume module with the piecewise parabolic method (PPM) for reconstruction and the modified Marquina approximate Riemann solver to work with TVD Runge-Kutta time integration. We examine the difficulty of accurately simulating shear flows in numerical relativistic hydrodynamics codes. We show that under-resolved simulations of simple test problems with transverse velocity components produce incorrect results and demonstrate the ability of RAM to correctly solve these problems. RAM has been tested in one, two and three dimensions and in Cartesian, cylindrical and spherical coordinates. We have demonstrated fifth-order accuracy for WENO in one and two dimensions and performed detailed comparison with other schemes for which we show significantly lower convergence rates. Extensive testing is presented demonstrating the ability of RAM to address challenging open questions in relativistic astrophysics.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

X-ray flares following short gamma-ray bursts from shock heating of binary stellar companions

The discovery of long-lasting (~100 s) X-ray flares following short gamma-ray bursts initially called into question whether they were truly classical short-hard bursts. Opinion over the last few years has coalesced around the view that the short-hard bursts arise from the merger of pairs of neutron stars, or a neutron star merging with a stellar-mass black hole. The natural timescales associated with these processes, however, essentially preclude an X-ray flare lasting ~100 s. Here we show that an interaction between the GRB outflow and a non-compact stellar companion at a distance of ~a light-minute provides a natural explanation for the flares. In the model, the burst is triggered by the collapse of a neutron star after accreting matter from the companion. This is reminiscent of type Ia supernovae, where there is a wide distribution of delay times between formation and explosion, leading to an association with both star-forming galaxies and old ellipticals.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

The Propagation and Eruption of Relativistic Jets from the Stellar Progenitors of GRBs

New two- and three-dimensional calculations are presented of relativistic jet propagation and break out in massive Wolf-Rayet stars. Such jets are thought responsible for gamma-ray bursts. As it erupts, the jet is surrounded by a cocoon of less energetic, but still highly relativistic ejecta that expands and becomes visible at much larger polar angles. These less energetic ejecta may be the origin of X-ray flashes and other high-energy transients which will be visible to a larger fraction of the sky, albeit to a shorter distance than common gamma-ray bursts. Jet stability is also examined in three-dimensional calculations. If the jet changes angle by more than three degrees in several seconds, it will dissipate, producing a broad beam with inadequate Lorentz factor to make a common gamma-ray burst.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

Relativistic Jets in Collapsars

We examine the propagation of 2-dimensional relativistic jets through the stellar progenitor in the collapsar model for gamma-ray bursts. In agreement with previous studies, we find that relativistic jets are collimated by their passage through the stellar mantle. Interaction of these jets with the star and their own cocoons also causes mixing that sporadically decelerates the flow. We speculate that this mixing instability is chiefly responsible for the variable Lorentz factor needed in the internal shock model and for the complex light curves seen in many GRBs. In all cases studied, the jet is shocked deep inside the star following a brief period of adiabatic expansion. The jet that finally emerges from the star thus has a moderate Lorentz factor, modulated by mixing, and a very large internal energy. In a second series of calculations, we follow the escape of that sort of jet. Because of the large ratio of internal to kinetic energy in both the jet and its cocoon, the opening angle of the final jet is significantly greater than at breakout. A small amount of material emerges at large angles, but with a Lorentz factor still sufficiently large to make a weak GRB. This leads us to propose a "unified model" in which a variety of high energy transients, ranging from x-ray flashes to "classic" GRBs, may be seen depending upon the angle at which a standard collapsar is observed. We also speculate that the breakout of a relativistic jet and its collision with the stellar wind will produce a brief transient with properties similar to the class of "short-hard" GRBs. Implications of our calculations for GRB light curves, the luminosity-variability relation, and the GRB-supernova association are also discussed. (Abridged)

astro-ph↗

arXiv2002

Relativistic Jets from Collapsars: Gamma-Ray Bursts

Growing observational evidence supports the proposition that gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) are powered by relativistic jets from massive helium stars whose cores have collapsed to black holes and an accretion disk (collapsars). We model the propagation of relativistic jets through the stellar progenitor and its wind using a two-dimensional special relativistic hydrodynamics code based on the PPM formalism. The jet emerges from the star with a plug in front and a cocoon surrounding it. During its propagation outside the star, the jet gains high Lorentz factor as its internal energy is converted into kinetic energy while the cocoon expands both outwards and sideways. External shocks between the cocoon and the stellar wind can produce $γ$-ray and hard x-ray transients. The interaction of the jet beam and the plug will also affect both of them substantially, and may lead to short-hard GRBs. Internal shocks in the jet itself may make long-soft GRBs.

astro-ph↗