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U.S. Department of Energy
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Adaptive-grid finite-difference method for time-dependent magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) flows and its astrogeophysical application

Thesis/Dissertation ·
OSTI ID:7129142
An adaptive-grid finite-difference method for solving time-dependent, magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations is developed. The method is capable of solving problems that include high gradients due to geometry, propagation of shock waves, and unsteady boundary conditions. The grid-generation technique is based on variational principles with direct control over grid concentration, smoothness, and skewness. Studies of one-dimensional MHD wave propagation in the subsonic, sub-Alfvenic flow region in the solar corona and the propagation of finite-amplitude disturbances in the supersonic, super-Alfvenic flow region of the solar wind are used to demonstrate the technique's accuracy and versatility. The adaptive-grid method was used here to study the propagation of solar-generated disturbances through the solar wind critical points. Also, application of the method to two-dimensional, time-dependent MHD flows to simulate the propagation of solar-flare-generated shock waves of the solar wind flows in the equatorial plane of the Sun is investigated.
Research Organization:
Alabama Univ., Huntsville (USA)
OSTI ID:
7129142
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English