Finite element simulation of a turbulent MHD system: comparison to a pseudo-spectral simulation Original Research Article

A finite element MHD algorithm is used to simulate a two-dimensional, viscous and resistive turbulent model, namely the Orszag-Tang vortex. The results are compared to a pseudo-spectral simulation of the same system reported by Dahlburg and Picone (Phys. Fluids B 1 (1989) 2153). The agreement of results from both methods supports the contention that the finite element method can appropriately simulate systems exhibiting turbulence, thus enabling the use of realistic geometries and boundary conditions, as well as adaptive refinement on simulations of turbulent systems. A short discussion on the behavior of ▿·B is presented. An inverse correlation between spatial resolution and the magnitude of ▿·B was found. The relevance of our findings to Adaptive Mesh Refinement is briefly discussed.