Pseudo-spectral code for numerical simulation of nonlinear thermo-compositional convection and dynamos in rotating spherical shells

1. School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK

Luis Silva, Radostin D Simitev
School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK

This is a set of codes for numerical simulation of nonlinear thermo-compositional convection and of convection-driven dynamos in rotating spherical shells. The code has been benchmarked (Matsui et al 2016) and has been used extensively for modelling of the geodynamo, planetary and stellar dynamos (Simitev 2002-2018).

The main numerical code uses a pseudo-spectral spatial discretisation, see (Tilgner 1999). The idea and early mathematical formulations were conceived by Busse. Early implementations were done by Tilgner, Ardes and Grote. Simitev maintained, modified, and used the code extensively, including introduction of a governing equation for the concentration within the project acknowledged below. Silva ported the code to Fortran 95 and open source libraries, and prepared the documentation (2014-16).

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The work of Silva and Simitev was supported by the Leverhulme Trust [grant number RPG-2012-600].

REFERENCES

Matsui, et al. Performance benchmarks for a next generation numerical dynamo model, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 17, pp 1586-1607 DOI:10.1002/2015GC006159, 2016.

Tilgner, A. 1999 Spectral methods for the simulation of incompressible flows in spherical shells. Intl J. Numer. Meth. Fluids 30 (6), 713–724.

Simitev (2002-2018), https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2207-5789