Multi-dimensional Numerical Scheme for Resistive Relativistic MHD

TL;DR

This paper introduces a novel numerical scheme for resistive relativistic MHD that effectively handles magnetic divergence and electric charge consistency, enabling accurate simulations of astrophysical phenomena involving shocks and magnetic reconnection.

Contribution

A new upwind conservative numerical scheme for special relativistic resistive MHD that maintains divergence constraints and accurately captures complex plasma phenomena.

Findings

Scheme handles resistive current sheets effectively

Accurately models shock waves in relativistic plasmas

Useful for studying magnetic reconnection in astrophysics

Abstract

The paper describes a new upwind conservative numerical scheme for special relativistic resistive magnetohydrodynamics with scalar resistivity. The magnetic field is kept approximately divergence free and the divergence of the electric field consistent with the electric charge distribution via the method of Generalized Lagrange Multiplier. The hyperbolic fluxes are computed using the HLL prescription and the source terms are accounted via the time-splitting technique. The results of test simulations show that the scheme can handle equally well both resistive current sheets and shock waves and thus can be a useful tool for studying phenomena of relativistic astrophysics that involve both colliding supersonic flows and magnetic reconnection.