A Space-Time Discontinuous Galerkin Trefftz Method for time dependent Maxwell's equations

We consider the discretization of electromagnetic wave propagation problems by a discontinuous Galerkin Method based on Trefftz polynomials. This method fits into an abstract framework for space-time discontinuous Galerkin methods for which we can prove consistency, stability, and energy dissipation without the need to completely specify the approximation spaces in detail. Any method of such a general form results in an implicit time-stepping scheme with some basic stability properties. For the local approximation on each space-time element, we then consider Trefftz polynomials, i.e., the subspace of polynomials that satisfy Maxwell's equations exactly on the respective element. We present an explicit construction of a basis for the local Trefftz spaces in two and three dimensions and summarize some of their basic properties. Using local properties of the Trefftz polynomials, we can establish the well-posedness of the resulting discontinuous Galerkin Trefftz method. Consistency, stability, and energy dissipation then follow immediately from the results about the abstract framework. The method proposed in this paper therefore shares many of the advantages of more standard discontinuous Galerkin methods, while at the same time, it yields a substantial reduction in the number of degrees of freedom and the cost for assembling. These benefits and the spectral convergence of the scheme are demonstrated in numerical tests

Enriched discrete spaces for time domain wave equations

The second order linear wave equation is simple in representation but its numerical approximation is challenging, especially when the system contains waves of high frequencies. While 10 grid points per wavelength is regarded as the rule of thumb to achieve tolerable approximation with the standard numerical approach, high resolution or high grid density is often required at high frequency which is often computationally demanding. As a contribution to tackling this problem, we consider in this thesis the discretization of the problem in the framework of the space-time discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method while investigating the solution in a finite dimensional space whose building blocks are waves themselves. The motivation for this approach is to reduce the number of degrees of freedom per wavelength as well as to introduce some analytical features of the problem into its numerical approximation. The developed space-time DG method is able to accommodate any polynomial bases. However, the Trefftz based space-time method proves to be efficient even for a system operating at high frequency. Comparison with polynomial spaces of total degree shows that equivalent orders of convergence are obtainable with fewer degrees of freedom. Moreover, the implementation of the Trefftz based method is cheaper as integration is restricted to the space-time mesh skeleton. We also extend our technique to a more complicated wave problem called the telegraph equation or the damped wave equation. The construction of the Trefftz space for this problem is not trivial. However, the exibility of the DG method enables us to use a special technique of propagating polynomial initial data using a wave-like solution (analytical) formula which gives us the required wave-like local solutions for the construction of the space. This thesis contains important a priori analysis as well as the convergence analysis for the developed space-time method, and extensive numerical experiments

The FLAME-slab method for electromagnetic wave scattering in aperiodic slabs

The proposed numerical method, "FLAME-slab," solves electromagnetic wave scattering problems for aperiodic slab structures by exploiting short-range regularities in these structures. The computational procedure involves special difference schemes with high accuracy even on coarse grids. These schemes are based on Trefftz approximations, utilizing functions that locally satisfy the governing differential equations, as is done in the Flexible Local Approximation Method (FLAME). Radiation boundary conditions are implemented via Fourier expansions in the air surrounding the slab. When applied to ensembles of slab structures with identical short-range features, such as amorphous or quasicrystalline lattices, the method is significantly more efficient, both in runtime and in memory consumption, than traditional approaches. This efficiency is due to the fact that the Trefftz functions need to be computed only once for the whole ensemble.Comment: Various typos were corrected. Minor inconsistencies throughout the manuscript were fixed. In Section II B. Additional description regarding choice of Trefftz cell, was added. In Section III A. Detailed description about units (used in our calculation) was adde

Space-time Methods for Time-dependent Partial Differential Equations

Modern discretizations of time-dependent PDEs consider the full problem in the space-time cylinder and aim to overcome limitations of classical approaches such as the method of lines (first discretize in space and then solve the resulting ODE) and the Rothe method (first discretize in time and then solve the PDE). A main advantage of a holistic space-time method is the direct access to space-time adaptivity and to the backward problem (required for the dual problem in optimization or error control). Moreover, this allows for parallel solution strategies simultaneously in time and space. Several space-time concepts where proposed (different conforming and nonconforming space-time finite elements, the parareal method, wavefront relaxation etc.) but this topic has become a rapidly growing field in numerical analysis and scientific computing. In this workshop the focus is the development of adaptive and flexible space-time discretization methods for solving parabolic and hyperbolic space-time partial differential equations

Plane Wave Discontinuous Galerkin methods for scattering by periodic structures

This thesis explores the application of Plane Wave Discontinuous Galerkin (PWDG) methods for the numerical simulation of electromagnetic scattering by periodic structures. Periodic structures play a pivotal role in various engineering and scientific applications, including antenna design, metamaterial characterization, and photonic crystal analysis. Understanding and accurately predicting the scattering behavior of electromagnetic waves from such structures is crucial in optimizing their performance and advancing technological advancements. The thesis commences with an overview of the theoretical foundations of electromagnetic scattering by periodic structures. This theoretical dissertation serves as the basis for formulating the PWDG method within the context of wave equation. The DtN operator is presented and it is used to derive a suitable boundary condition. The numerical implementation of PWDG methods is discussed in detail, emphasizing key aspects such as basis function selection and boundary conditions. The algorithm's efficiency is assessed through numerical experiments. We then present the DtN-PWDG method, which is discussed in detail and is used to derive numerical solutions of the scattering problem. A comparison with the finite element method (FEM) is presented. In conclusion, this thesis demonstrates that PWDG methods are a powerful tool for simulating electromagnetic scattering by periodic structures

A space–time Trefftz discontinuous Galerkin method for the acoustic wave equation in first-order formulation

We introduce a space–time Trefftz discontinuous Galerkin method for the first-order transient acoustic wave equations in arbitrary space dimensions, extending the one-dimensional scheme of Kretzschmar et al. (IMA J Numer Anal 36:1599–1635, 2016). Test and trial discrete functions are space–time piecewise polynomial solutions of the wave equations. We prove well-posedness and a priori error bounds in both skeleton-based and mesh-independent norms. The space–time formulation corresponds to an implicit time-stepping scheme, if posed on meshes partitioned in time slabs, or to an explicit scheme, if posed on “tent-pitched” meshes. We describe two Trefftz polynomial discrete spaces, introduce bases for them and prove optimal, high-order h-convergence bounds

A space-time discontinuous Galerkin method for coupled poroelasticity-elasticity problems

This work is concerned with the analysis of a space-time finite element discontinuous Galerkin method on polytopal meshes (XT-PolydG) for the numerical discretization of wave propagation in coupled poroelastic-elastic media. The mathematical model consists of the low-frequency Biot's equations in the poroelastic medium and the elastodynamics equation for the elastic one. To realize the coupling, suitable transmission conditions on the interface between the two domains are (weakly) embedded in the formulation. The proposed PolydG discretization in space is then coupled with a dG time integration scheme, resulting in a full space-time dG discretization. We present the stability analysis for both the continuous and the semidiscrete formulations, and we derive error estimates for the semidiscrete formulation in a suitable energy norm. The method is applied to a wide set of numerical test cases to verify the theoretical bounds. Examples of physical interest are also presented to investigate the capability of the proposed method in relevant geophysical scenarios

A discontinuous Galerkin Trefftz type method for solving the two dimensional Maxwell equations

International audienceTrefftz methods are known to be very efficient to reduce the numerical pollution when associated to plane wave basis. However, these local basis functions are not adapted to the computation of evanescent modes or corner singularities. In this article, we consider a two dimensional time-harmonic Maxwell system and we propose a formulation which allows to design an electromagnetic Trefftz formulation associated to local Galerkin basis computed thanks to an auxiliary Nédélec finite element method. The results are illustrated with numerous numerical examples. The considered test cases reveal that the short range and long range propagation phenomena are both well taken into account