Mancha3D Code: Multipurpose Advanced Nonideal MHD Code for High-Resolution Simulations in Astrophysics

The Mancha3D code is a versatile tool for numerical simulations of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) processes in solar/stellar atmospheres. The code includes nonideal physics derived from plasma partial ionization, a realistic equation of state and radiative transfer, which allows performing high-quality realistic simulations of magnetoconvection, as well as idealized simulations of particular processes, such as wave propagation, instabilities or energetic events. The paper summarizes the equations and methods used in the Mancha3D (Multifluid (-purpose -physics -dimensional) Advanced Non-ideal MHD Code for High resolution simulations in Astrophysics 3D) code. It also describes its numerical stability and parallel performance and efficiency. The code is based on a finite difference discretization and a memory-saving Runge-Kutta (RK) scheme. It handles nonideal effects through super-time-stepping and Hall diffusion schemes, and takes into account thermal conduction by solving an additional hyperbolic equation for the heat flux. The code is easily configurable to perform different kinds of simulations. Several examples of the code usage are given. It is demonstrated that splitting variables into equilibrium and perturbation parts is essential for simulations of wave propagation in a static background. A perfectly matched layer (PML) boundary condition built into the code greatly facilitates a nonreflective open boundary implementation. Spatial filtering is an important numerical remedy to eliminate grid-size perturbations enhancing the code stability. Parallel performance analysis reveals that the code is strongly memory bound, which is a natural consequence of the numerical techniques used, such as split variables and PML boundary conditions. Both strong and weak scalings show adequate performance up to several thousands of processors (CPUs).

Influence of ambipolar and Hall effects on vorticity in three-dimensional simulations of magneto-convection

This paper presents the results of the analysis of three-dimensional simulations of solar magneto-convection that include the joint action of the ambipolar diffusion and the Hall effect. Three simulation runs are compared: one including both ambipolar diffusion and the Hall effect; one including only ambipolar diffusion and one without any of these two effects. The magnetic field is amplified from initial field to saturation level by the action of turbulent local dynamo. In each of these cases, we study 2 h of simulated solar time after the local dynamo reaches the saturation regime. We analyse the power spectra of vorticity, of magnetic field fluctuations and of the different components of the magnetic Poynting flux responsible for the transport of vertical or horizontal perturbations. Our preliminary results show that the ambipolar diffusion produces a strong reduction of vorticity in the upper chromospheric layers and that it dissipates the vortical perturbations converting them into thermal energy. The Hall effect acts in the opposite way, strongly enhancing the vorticity. When the Hall effect is included, the magnetic field in the simulations becomes, on average, more vertical and long-lived flux tube-like structures are produced. We trace a single magnetic structure to study its evolution pattern and the magnetic field intensification, and their possible relation to the Hall effect. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'High-resolution wave dynamics in the lower solar atmosphere'.