An HLLD Implementation for General Relativistic Magnetohydrodynamics in AthenaK

Abstract

We present an implementation of an HLLD approximate Riemann solver for the AthenaK astrophysics code with support for full general relativistic magnetohydrodynamics via a tetrad frame transformation. Our implementation uses an initial guess for the HLLD iterative solve which eliminates the need for an additional conserved-to-primitive inversion, which greatly accelerates performance without affecting accuracy. Additionally, by coupling the method with a first-order flux correction, we are able to use the method reliably even when the magnetization exceeds $10^4$, which we achieve in a SANE accretion disk. Our SANE disk shows that HLLD leads to a more strongly magnetized funnel and more accurate horizon fluxes when compared with HLLE. We further apply the new HLLD implementation to an equal-mass binary neutron star merger. For our long-lived remnant, HLLD enhances the magnetic shear stresses in the outer layers and leads to weaker differential rotation. However, due to weaker gravitational wave emissions in the post-merger phase, the remnant is consistently less compact while producing more dynamical ejecta and a more massive disk. The cost of this new solver is relatively modest thanks to the improved initial guess: our accretion disk tests are only $\sim 10-25\%$ slower than HLLE, and for our binary neutron star runs with a microphysical equation of state, we find that HLLD is only $\sim 3\%$ slower than HLLE across all runs.

19 pages, 15 figures