Search

We analyze why the discretization of linear transport with asymmetric Hermite basis functions can be instable in quadratic norm. The main reason is that the finite truncation of the infinite moment linear system looses the skew-symmetry property with respect to the Gram matrix. Then we propose an original closed formula for the scalar product of any pair of asymmetric basis functions. It makes possible the construction of two simple modifications of the linear systems which recover the skew-symmetry property. By construction the new methods are quadratically stable with respect to the natural $L^2$ norm. We explain how to generalize to other transport equations encountered in numerical plasma physics. Basic numerical tests illustrate the unconditional stability properties of our algorithms.

We study the Bernstein-Landau paradox in the collisionless motion of an electrostatic plasma in the presence of a constant external magnetic field. The Bernstein-Landau paradox consists in that in the presence of the magnetic field, the electric field and the charge density fluctuation have an oscillatory behavior in time. This is radically different from Landau damping, in the case without magnetic field, where the electric field tends to zero for large times. We consider this problem from a new point of view. Instead of analyzing the linear magnetized Vlasov-Poisson system, as it is usually done, we study the linear magnetized Vlasov-Amp\`ere system. We formulate the magnetized Vlasov-Amp\`ere system as a Schr\"odinger equation with a selfadjoint magnetized Vlasov-Amp\`ere operator in the Hilbert space of states with finite energy. The magnetized Vlasov-Amp\`ere operator has a complete set of orthonormal eigenfunctions, that include the Bernstein modes. The expansion of the solution of the magnetized Vlasov-Amp\`ere system in the eigenfunctions shows the oscillatory behavior in time. We prove the convergence of the expansion under optimal conditions, assuming only that the initial state has finite energy. This solves a problem that was recently posed in the literature. The Bernstein modes are not complete. To have a complete system it is necessary to add eigenfunctions that are associated with eigenvalues at all the integer multiples of the cyclotron frequency. These special plasma oscillations actually exist on their own, without the excitation of the other modes. In the limit when the magnetic fields goes to zero the spectrum of the magnetized Vlasov-Amp\`ere operator changes drastically from pure point to absolutely continuous in the orthogonal complement to its kernel, due to a sharp change on its domain. This explains the Bernstein-Landau paradox., Comment: We have edited the paper to include new results and to add details that improve the presentation. Further, we have added the word magnetized to the title

The motivation of this work stems from the numerical approximation of bounded functions by polynomials satisfying the same bounds. The present contribution makes use of the recent algebraic characterization found in [B. Despr\'es, Numer. Algorithms, 76(3), (2017)] and [B. Despr\'es and M. Herda, Numer. Algorithms, 77(1), (2018)] where an interpretation of monovariate polynomials with two bounds is provided in terms of a quaternion algebra and the Euler four-squares formulas. Thanks to this structure, we generate a new nonlinear projection algorithm onto the set of polynomials with two bounds. The numerical analysis of the method provides theoretical error estimates showing stability and continuity of the projection. Some numerical tests illustrate this novel algorithm for constrained polynomial approximation., Comment: Correction of first author's last name which was misspelled in previous version

We propose an iterative algorithm for the numerical computation of sums of squares of polynomials approximating given data at prescribed interpolation points. The method is based on the definition of a convex functional $G$ arising from the dualization of a quadratic regression over the Cholesky factors of the sum of squares decomposition. In order to justify the construction, the domain of $G$, the boundary of the domain and the behavior at infinity are analyzed in details. When the data interpolate a positive univariate polynomial, we show that in the context of the Lukacs sum of squares representation, $G$ is coercive and strictly convex which yields a unique critical point and a corresponding decomposition in sum of squares. For multivariate polynomials which admit a decomposition in sum of squares and up to a small perturbation of size $\varepsilon$, $G^\varepsilon$ is always coercive and so it minimum yields an approximate decomposition in sum of squares. Various unconstrained descent algorithms are proposed to minimize $G$. Numerical examples are provided, for univariate and bivariate polynomials.

We study the long-time asymptotic of the solutions to Maxwell's equation in the case of a upper-hybrid resonance in the cold plasma model. We base our analysis in the transfer to the time domain of the recent results of B. Despr\'es, L.M. Imbert-G\'erard and R. Weder, J. Math. Pures Appl. {\bf 101} ( 2014) 623-659, where the singular solutions to Maxwell's equations in the frequency domain were constructed by means of a limiting absorption principle and a formula for the heating of the plasma in the limit of vanishing collision frequency was obtained. Currently there is considerable interest in these problems, in particular, because upper-hybrid resonances are a possible scenario for the heating of plasmas, and since they can be a model for the diagnostics involving wave scattering in plasmas., Comment: This published version has been edited to improve the presentation of the results

In this paper we propose an asymptotic preserving scheme for a family of Friedrichs systems on unstructured meshes based on a decomposition between the hyperbolic heat equation and a linear hyperbolic which not involved in the di usive regime. For the hyperbolic heat equation we use asymptotic preserving schemes recently designed previously. To discretize the second part we use classical Rusanov or upwind schemes. To nish we apply this method for the discretization of the PN and SN models which are widely used in transport codes.

Hybrid resonance is a physical mechanism for the heating of a magnetic plasma. In our context hybrid resonance is a solution of the time harmonic Maxwell's equations with smooth coefficients, where the dielectric tensor is a non diagonal hermitian matrix. The main part of this work is dedicated to the construction and analysis of a mathematical solution of the hybrid resonance with the limit absorption principle. We prove that the limit solution is singular: it is constituted of a Dirac mass at the origin plus a principle value and a smooth square integrable function. The formula obtained for the plasma heating is directly related to the singularity., Comment: This published version has been edited to improve the presentation of the results

The mathematical description of laboratory fusion plasmas produced in Tokamaks is still challenging. Complete models for electrons and ions, as Vlasov-Maxwell systems, are computationally too expensive because they take into account all details and scales of magneto-hydrodynamics. In particular, for most of the relevant studies, the mass electron is negligible and the velocity of material waves is much smaller than the speed of light. Therefore it is useful to understand simplified models. Here we propose and study one of those which keeps both the complexity of the Vlasov equation for ions and the Hall effect in Maxwell's equation. Based on energy dissipation, a fundamental physical property, we show that the model is nonlinear stable and consequently prove existence.