Implicit predictor–corrector central finite difference scheme for the equations of magnetohydrodynamic simulations

Abstract

Nowadays most of supercomputers are based on the frame of PC cluster; therefore, the efficiency of parallel computing is of importance especially with the increasing computing scale. This paper proposes a high-order implicit predictor–corrector central finite difference (iPCCFD) scheme and demonstrates its high efficiency in parallel computing. Of special interests are the large scale numerical studies such as the magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) simulations in the planetary magnetosphere. An iPCCFD scheme is developed based on fifth-order central finite difference method and fourth-order implicit predictor–corrector method in combination with elimination-of-the-round-off-errors (ERE) technique. We examine several numerical studies such as one-dimensional Brio–Wu shock tube problem, two-dimensional Orszag–Tang vortex system, vortex type K–H instability, kink type K–H instability, field loop advection, and blast wave. All the simulation results are consistent with many literatures. iPCCFD can minimize the numerical instabilities and noises along with the additional diffusion terms. All of our studies present relatively small numerical errors without employing any divergence-free reconstruction. In particular, we obtain fairly stable results in the two-dimensional Brio–Wu shock tube problem which well conserves ∇⋅B=0 throughout the simulation. The ERE technique removes the accumulation of roundoff errors in the uniform or non-disturbed system. We have also shown that iPCCFD is characterized by the high order of accuracy and the low numerical dissipation in the circularly polarized Alfvén wave tests. The proposed iPCCFD scheme is a parallel-efficient and high precision numerical scheme for solving the MHD equations in hyperbolic conservation systems.