Tree based gravity solver for 3D hydrodynamical simulations of binary white dwarfs merger type Ia supernovae
Abstract:
Self-gravity plays a crucial role in the astrophysics of type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). Understanding the extreme physics of these events demands accurate hydrodynamical simulations enabled by multiphysics frameworks such as FLASH. In these simulations, direct pairwise gravitational interactions scale as N2, which can quickly become expansive for large scale simulations. To reduce the computational cost, FLASH employs approximation methods, including fast multipole and BHTree solvers, where the computational cost scales linearly with the system. Within this framework, FLASH uses an operator-split approach to couple separately evolved hydrodynamics and gravity at each timestep.
My thesis focuses on the BHTree solver and quantifies its suitability for SNe Ia applications through targeted verification and performance studies. I evaluate force accuracy and conservation behaviour across test problems, and compare BHTree against other gravity solvers to characterize the relevant accuracy-cost tradeoff for production simulations. The resulting methodology is intended to guide solver selection and simulation setup for large self-gravitating calculations, and to support the broader goal of reliable, scalable computational tools for stellar explosions and related astrophysical fluid systems.
Advisor:
Dr. Robert Fisher, Department of Physics, (Robert.fisher@umassd.edu)
Committee members:
Dr. Renuka Rajapakse, Department of Physics
Dr. Janyi Wang, Department of Physics
Note: All PHY Graduate Students are encouraged to attend.
SENG 201
Dr. Robert Fisher, Department of Physics
Robert.fisher@umassd.edu