High-Order Solver for Direct Numerical Simulations of Plasma Flows with Realistic Transport Phenomena

The two-fluid plasma equations with full transport terms, including temperature and magnetic field dependent ion and electron viscous stresses and heat fluxes, frictional drag force, and ohmic heating term have been implemented in the petascale CFDNS code and solved by using the sixth-order non-dissipative compact finite differences for plasma flows in several different regimes. In order to be able to fully resolve all the dynamically relevant time and length scales while maintaining computational feasibility, the assumptions of infinite speed of light and negligible electron inertia have been made. The accuracy and robustness of this two-fluid plasma solver in handling plasma flows in different regimes have been validated against a series of canonical problems, such as Alfven-Whistler dispersion relation, electromagnetic plasma shock, magnetic reconnection, etc. For all test cases, grid convergence studies have been conducted to achieve fully resolved DNS-like solutions. In addition, the roles of viscosity, heat flux, resistivity and Hall effects are investigated for the canonical flows studied.