paper

BOUT++: a framework for parallel plasma fluid simulations

arXiv:0810.5757 · doi:10.1016/j.cpc.2009.03.008

Abstract

A new modular code called BOUT++ is presented, which simulates 3D fluid equations in curvilinear coordinates. Although aimed at simulating Edge Localised Modes (ELMs) in tokamak X-point geometry, the code is able to simulate a wide range of fluid models (magnetised and unmagnetised) involving an arbitrary number of scalar and vector fields, in a wide range of geometries. Time evolution is fully implicit, and 3rd-order WENO schemes are implemented. Benchmarks are presented for linear and non-linear problems (the Orszag-Tang vortex) showing good agreement. Performance of the code is tested by scaling with problem size and processor number, showing efficient scaling to thousands of processors. Linear initial-value simulations of ELMs using reduced ideal MHD are presented, and the results compared to the ELITE linear MHD eigenvalue code. The resulting mode-structures and growth-rate are found to be in good agreement (BOUT++ = 0.245, ELITE = 0.239). To our knowledge, this is the first time dissipationless, initial-value simulations of ELMs have been successfully demonstrated.

Submitted to Computer Physics Communications. Revised to reduce page count. 18 pages, 16 figures

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