This paper presents a new resolution strategy for multi-scale streamer
discharge simulations based on a second order time adaptive integration and
space adaptive multiresolution. A classical fluid model is used to describe
plasma discharges, considering drift-diffusion equations and the computation of
electric field. The proposed numerical method provides a time-space accuracy
control of the solution, and thus, an effective accurate resolution independent
of the fastest physical time scale. An important improvement of the
computational efficiency is achieved whenever the required time steps go beyond
standard stability constraints associated with mesh size or source time scales
for the resolution of the drift-diffusion equations, whereas the stability
constraint related to the dielectric relaxation time scale is respected but
with a second order precision. Numerical illustrations show that the strategy
can be efficiently applied to simulate the propagation of highly nonlinear
ionizing waves as streamer discharges, as well as highly multi-scale nanosecond
repetitively pulsed discharges, describing consistently a broad spectrum of
space and time scales as well as different physical scenarios for consecutive
discharge/post-discharge phases, out of reach of standard non-adaptive methods.Comment: Support of Ecole Centrale Paris is gratefully acknowledged for
several month stay of Z. Bonaventura at Laboratory EM2C as visiting
Professor. Authors express special thanks to Christian Tenaud (LIMSI-CNRS)
for providing the basis of the multiresolution kernel of MR CHORUS, code
developed for compressible Navier-Stokes equations (D\'eclaration d'Invention
DI 03760-01). Accepted for publication; Journal of Computational Physics
(2011) 1-2