Optimal penalty parameters for symmetric discontinuous Galerkin discretisations of the time-harmonic Maxwell equations

We provide optimal parameter estimates and a priori error bounds for symmetric discontinuous Galerkin (DG) discretisations of the second-order indefinite time-harmonic Maxwell equations. More specifically, we consider two variations of symmetric DG methods: the interior penalty DG (IP-DG) method and one that makes use of the local lifting operator in the flux formulation. As a novelty, our parameter estimates and error bounds are $i)$ valid in the pre-asymptotic regime; $ii)$ solely depend on the geometry and the polynomial order; and $iii)$ are free of unspecified constants. Such estimates are particularly important in three-dimensional (3D) simulations because in practice many 3D computations occur in the pre-asymptotic regime. Therefore, it is vital that our numerical experiments that accompany the theoretical results are also in 3D. They are carried out on tetrahedral meshes with high-order ($p = 1, 2, 3, 4$) hierarchic $H(\mathrm{curl})$-conforming polynomial basis functions

Is the Helmholtz equation really sign-indefinite?

The usual variational (or weak) formulations of the Helmholtz equation are sign-indefinite in the sense that the bilinear forms cannot be bounded below by a positive multiple of the appropriate norm squared. This is often for a good reason, since in bounded domains under certain boundary conditions the solution of the Helmholtz equation is not unique at wavenumbers that correspond to eigenvalues of the Laplacian, and thus the variational problem cannot be sign-definite. However, even in cases where the solution is unique for all wavenumbers, the standard variational formulations of the Helmholtz equation are still indefinite when the wavenumber is large. This indefiniteness has implications for both the analysis and the practical implementation of finite element methods. In this paper we introduce new sign-definite (also called coercive or elliptic) formulations of the Helmholtz equation posed in either the interior of a star-shaped domain with impedance boundary conditions, or the exterior of a star-shaped domain with Dirichlet boundary conditions. Like the standard variational formulations, these new formulations arise just by multiplying the Helmholtz equation by particular test functions and integrating by parts

Analysis of a mixed discontinuous Galerkin method for the time-harmonic Maxwell equations with minimal smoothness requirements

An error analysis of a mixed discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method with Brezzi numerical flux for the time-harmonic Maxwell equations with minimal smoothness requirements is presented. The key difficulty in the error analysis for the DG method is that the tangential or normal trace of the exact solution is not well-defined on the mesh faces of the computational mesh. We overcome this difficulty by two steps. First, we employ a lifting operator to replace the integrals of the tangential/normal traces on mesh faces by volume integrals. Second, optimal convergence rates are proven by using smoothed interpolations that are well-defined for merely integrable functions. As a byproduct of our analysis, an explicit and easily computable stabilization parameter is given

An unfitted finite element method with direct extension stabilization for time-harmonic Maxwell problems on smooth domains

We propose an unfitted finite element method for numerically solving the time-harmonic Maxwell equations on a smooth domain. The model problem involves a Lagrangian multiplier to relax the divergence constraint of the vector unknown. The embedded boundary of the domain is allowed to cut through the background mesh arbitrarily. The unfitted scheme is based on a mixed interior penalty formulation, where Nitsche penalty method is applied to enforce the boundary condition in a weak sense, and a penalty stabilization technique is adopted based on a local direct extension operator to ensure the stability for cut elements. We prove the inf-sup stability and obtain optimal convergence rates under the energy norm and the $L^2$ norm for both the vector unknown and the Lagrangian multiplier. Numerical examples in both two and three dimensions are presented to illustrate the accuracy of the method

Self-adaptive isogeometric spatial discretisations of the first and second-order forms of the neutron transport equation with dual-weighted residual error measures and diffusion acceleration

As implemented in a new modern-Fortran code, NURBS-based isogeometric analysis (IGA) spatial discretisations and self-adaptive mesh refinement (AMR) algorithms are developed in the application to the first-order and second-order forms of the neutron transport equation (NTE). These AMR algorithms are shown to be computationally efficient and numerically accurate when compared to standard approaches. IGA methods are very competitive and offer certain unique advantages over standard finite element methods (FEM), not least of all because the numerical analysis is performed over an exact representation of the underlying geometry, which is generally available in some computer-aided design (CAD) software description. Furthermore, mesh refinement can be performed within the analysis program at run-time, without the need to revisit any ancillary mesh generator. Two error measures are described for the IGA-based AMR algorithms, both of which can be employed in conjunction with energy-dependent meshes. The first heuristically minimises any local contributions to the global discretisation error, as per some appropriate user-prescribed norm. The second employs duality arguments to minimise important local contributions to the error as measured in some quantity of interest; this is commonly known as a dual-weighted residual (DWR) error measure and it demands the solution to both the forward (primal) and the adjoint (dual) NTE. Finally, convergent and stable diffusion acceleration and generalised minimal residual (GMRes) algorithms, compatible with the aforementioned AMR algorithms, are introduced to accelerate the convergence of the within-group self-scattering sources for scattering-dominated problems for the first and second-order forms of the NTE. A variety of verification benchmark problems are analysed to demonstrate the computational performance and efficiency of these acceleration techniques.Open Acces

Efficient discretisation and domain decomposition preconditioners for incompressible fluid mechanics

Solving the linear elasticity and Stokes equations by an optimal domain decomposition method derived algebraically involves the use of non standard interface conditions whose discretisation is not trivial. For this reason the use of approximation methods such as hybrid discontinuous Galerkin appears as an appropriate strategy: on the one hand they provide the best compromise in terms of the number of degrees of freedom in between standard continuous and discontinuous Galerkin methods, and on the other hand the degrees of freedom used in the non standard interface conditions are naturally defined at the boundary between elements. In this manuscript we present the coupling between a well chosen discretisation method (hybrid discontinuous Galerkin) and a novel and efficient domain decomposition method to solve the Stokes system. An analysis of the boundary value problem with non standard condition is provided as well as the numerical evidence showing the advantages of the new method. Furthermore, we present and analyse a stabilisation method for the presented discretisation that allows the use of the same polynomial degrees for velocity and pressure discrete spaces. The original definition of the domain decomposition preconditioners is one-level, this is, the preconditioner is built only using the solution of local problems. This has the undesired consequence that the results are not scalable, it means that the number of iterations needed to reach convergence increases with the number of subdomains. This is the reason why we have also introduced, and tested numerically, two-level preconditioners. Such preconditioners use a coarse space in their construction. We consider two finite element discretisations, namely, the hybrid discontinuous Galerkin and Taylor-Hood discretisations for the nearly incompressible elasticity problems and Stokes equations.Solving the linear elasticity and Stokes equations by an optimal domain decomposition method derived algebraically involves the use of non standard interface conditions whose discretisation is not trivial. For this reason the use of approximation methods such as hybrid discontinuous Galerkin appears as an appropriate strategy: on the one hand they provide the best compromise in terms of the number of degrees of freedom in between standard continuous and discontinuous Galerkin methods, and on the other hand the degrees of freedom used in the non standard interface conditions are naturally defined at the boundary between elements. In this manuscript we present the coupling between a well chosen discretisation method (hybrid discontinuous Galerkin) and a novel and efficient domain decomposition method to solve the Stokes system. An analysis of the boundary value problem with non standard condition is provided as well as the numerical evidence showing the advantages of the new method. Furthermore, we present and analyse a stabilisation method for the presented discretisation that allows the use of the same polynomial degrees for velocity and pressure discrete spaces. The original definition of the domain decomposition preconditioners is one-level, this is, the preconditioner is built only using the solution of local problems. This has the undesired consequence that the results are not scalable, it means that the number of iterations needed to reach convergence increases with the number of subdomains. This is the reason why we have also introduced, and tested numerically, two-level preconditioners. Such preconditioners use a coarse space in their construction. We consider two finite element discretisations, namely, the hybrid discontinuous Galerkin and Taylor-Hood discretisations for the nearly incompressible elasticity problems and Stokes equations

Aplicação do método de Galerkin descontínuo para a análise de guias fotônicos

Orientador: Hugo Enrique Hernández FigueroaDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Elétrica e de ComputaçãoResumo: Um novo método de onda completo para realizar a análise modal em guias de onda é introduzido nesta dissertação. A ideia central por trás do método é baseada na discretização da equação de onda vetorial com o Método de Galerkin Descontínuo com Penalidade Interior (IPDG, do inglês Interior Penalty Discontinuous Galerkin). Com uma função de penalidade apropriada, um método de alta precisão e sem modos espúrios é obtido. A eficiência do método proposto é provada em vários guias de onda, incluindo complicados guias de ondas ópticos com modos vazantes e também em guias de onda plasmônicos. Os resultados foram comparados com os métodos do estado-da-arte descritos na literatura. Também é discutida a importância dessa nova abordagem. Além disso, os resultados indicam que o método é mais preciso do que abordagens anteriores baseadas em Elementos Finitos. As principais contribuições deste trabalho são: foi desenvolvido um novo método robusto e de alta precisão para a análise de guias de ondas arbitrários, uma nova função de penalidade para o IPDG foi proposta e aplicações práticas do método proposto são apresentadas. Adicionalmente, no apêndice é apresentado uma aplicação da análise modal em simulação eletromagnética 3D com um método de Galerkin DescontínuoAbstract: A novel full-wave method to perform mode analysis on waveguides is introduced in this dissertation. The core of the method is based on an Interior Penalty Discontinuous Galerkin (IPDG) discretization of the vector wave equation. With an appropriate penalty function a spurious-free and high accuracy method is achieved. The efficiency of the proposed method was proved in several waveguides, including intricate optical waveguides with leaky modes and also on plasmonic waveguides. The obtained results were compared with the state-of-the-art mode solvers described in the literature. Also, a discussion on the importance of this new approach is presented. Moreover, the results indicate that the proposed method is more accurate than the previous approaches based on Finite Elements Methods. The main contributions of this work are: the development of a novel robust and accurate method for the analysis of arbitrary waveguides, a new penalty function for the IPDG was proposed and practical applications of the methods are discussed. In addition, in the appendix an application of modal analysis on 3D electromagnetic simulations with a Discontinuous Galerkin method is detailedMestradoTelecomunicações e TelemáticaMestre em Engenharia ElétricaCAPE

An arbitrary-order Cell Method with block-diagonal mass-matrices for the time-dependent 2D Maxwell equations

We introduce a new numerical method for the time-dependent Maxwell equations on unstructured meshes in two space dimensions. This relies on the introduction of a new mesh, which is the barycentric-dual cellular complex of the starting simplicial mesh, and on approximating two unknown fields with integral quantities on geometric entities of the two dual complexes. A careful choice of basis-functions yields cheaply invertible block-diagonal system matrices for the discrete time-stepping scheme. The main novelty of the present contribution lies in incorporating arbitrary polynomial degree in the approximating functional spaces, defined through a new reference cell. The presented method, albeit a kind of Discontinuous Galerkin approach, requires neither the introduction of user-tuned penalty parameters for the tangential jump of the fields, nor numerical dissipation to achieve stability. In fact an exact electromagnetic energy conservation law for the semi-discrete scheme is proved and it is shown on several numerical tests that the resulting algorithm provides spurious-free solutions with the expected order of convergence.Comment: 34 pages, 14 figures, submitte