Fast Lattice Boltzmann Solver for Relativistic Hydrodynamics

M. Mendoza, B. M. Boghosian, H. J. Herrmann, and S. Succi

Phys. Rev. Lett. 105, 014502 – Published 30 June 2010

Abstract

A lattice Boltzmann formulation for relativistic fluids is presented and numerically validated through quantitative comparison with recent hydrodynamic simulations of relativistic fluids. In order to illustrate its capability to handle complex geometries, the scheme is also applied to the case of a three-dimensional relativistic shock wave, generated by a supernova explosion, impacting on a massive interstellar cloud. This formulation opens up the possibility of exporting the proven advantages of lattice Boltzmann methods, namely, computational efficiency and easy handling of complex geometries, to the context of (mildly) relativistic fluid dynamics at large, from quark-gluon plasmas up to supernovae with relativistic outflows.

Received 15 December 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.105.014502

Authors & Affiliations

M. Mendoza^1,*, B. M. Boghosian^2,†, H. J. Herrmann^1,‡, and S. Succi^3,§

¹ETH Zürich, Computational Physics for Engineering Materials, Institute for Building Materials, Schafmattstrasse 6, HIF, CH-8093 Zürich, Switzerland
²Department of Mathematics, Tufts University, Bromfield-Pearson, Medford, Massachusetts 02155, USA
³Istituto per le Applicazioni del Calcolo C.N.R., Via dei Taurini, 19 00185, Rome, Italy, and Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, Albertstrasse, 19, D-79104, Freiburg, Germany

^*mmendoza@ethz.ch
^†bruce.boghosian@tufts.edu
^‡hjherrmann@ethz.ch
^§sauro.succi@gmail.com

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Vol. 105, Iss. 1 — 2 July 2010

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