A stable and accurate scheme for nonlinear diffusion equations: Application to atmospheric boundary layer

Abstract

Stability concerns are always a factor in the numerical solution of nonlinear diffusion equations, which are a class of equations widely applicable in different fields of science and engineering. In this study, a modified extended backward differentiation formulae (ME BDF) scheme is adapted for the solution of nonlinear diffusion equations, with a special focus on the atmospheric boundary layer diffusion process. The scheme is first implemented and examined for a widely used nonlinear ordinary differential equation, and then extended to a system of two nonlinear diffusion equations. A new temporal filter which leads to significant improvement of numerical results is proposed, and the impact of the filter on the stability and accuracy of the results is investigated. Noteworthy improvements are obtained as compared to other commonly used numerical schemes. Linear stability analysis of the proposed scheme is performed for both systems, and analytical stability limits are presented.