TY - JOUR
T1 - BOUT++
T2 - A framework for parallel plasma fluid simulations
AU - Dudson, B. D.
AU - Umansky, M. V.
AU - Xu, X. Q.
AU - Snyder, P. B.
AU - Wilson, H. R.
PY - 2009/9
Y1 - 2009/9
N2 - A new modular code called BOUT++ is presented, which simulates 3D fluid equations in curvilinear coordinates. Although aimed at simulating Edge Localised Modes (ELMs) in tokamak x-point geometry, the code is able to simulate a wide range of fluid models (magnetised and unmagnetised) involving an arbitrary number of scalar and vector fields, in a wide range of geometries. Time evolution is fully implicit, and 3rd-order WENO schemes are implemented. Benchmarks are presented for linear and non-linear problems (the Orszag-Tang vortex) showing good agreement. Performance of the code is tested by scaling with problem size and processor number, showing efficient scaling to thousands of processors. Linear initial-value simulations of ELMs using reduced ideal MHD are presented, and the results compared to the ELITE linear MHD eigenvalue code. The resulting mode-structures and growth-rate are found to be in good agreement (γBOUT++ = 0.245 ωA, γELITE = 0.239 ωA, with Alfvénic timescale 1 / ωA = R / VA). To our knowledge, this is the first time dissipationless, initial-value simulations of ELMs have been successfully demonstrated.
AB - A new modular code called BOUT++ is presented, which simulates 3D fluid equations in curvilinear coordinates. Although aimed at simulating Edge Localised Modes (ELMs) in tokamak x-point geometry, the code is able to simulate a wide range of fluid models (magnetised and unmagnetised) involving an arbitrary number of scalar and vector fields, in a wide range of geometries. Time evolution is fully implicit, and 3rd-order WENO schemes are implemented. Benchmarks are presented for linear and non-linear problems (the Orszag-Tang vortex) showing good agreement. Performance of the code is tested by scaling with problem size and processor number, showing efficient scaling to thousands of processors. Linear initial-value simulations of ELMs using reduced ideal MHD are presented, and the results compared to the ELITE linear MHD eigenvalue code. The resulting mode-structures and growth-rate are found to be in good agreement (γBOUT++ = 0.245 ωA, γELITE = 0.239 ωA, with Alfvénic timescale 1 / ωA = R / VA). To our knowledge, this is the first time dissipationless, initial-value simulations of ELMs have been successfully demonstrated.
KW - Curvilinear coordinates
KW - ELM
KW - Plasma simulation
KW - Tokamak
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=68849089439&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.cpc.2009.03.008
DO - 10.1016/j.cpc.2009.03.008
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:68849089439
SN - 0010-4655
VL - 180
SP - 1467
EP - 1480
JO - Computer Physics Communications
JF - Computer Physics Communications
IS - 9
ER -