High-Order Hydrodynamics from Boltzmann-BGK

TL;DR

This paper develops a hierarchy of high-order hydrodynamic equations derived from the Boltzmann-BGK model using Hermite polynomial projections, enabling accurate descriptions of non-equilibrium flows in lattice Boltzmann simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel method to close the Boltzmann-BGK hierarchy with N-order Hermite polynomials, providing exact hydrodynamic equations for lattice Boltzmann models.

Findings

Hierarchical N-order PDEs accurately describe hydrodynamics.

Validation with LBGK and DSMC shows applicability in non-equilibrium regimes.

Results extend the understanding of lattice Boltzmann methods under high Knudsen numbers.

Abstract

In this work, closure of the Boltzmann--BGK moment hierarchy is accomplished via projection of the distribution function $f$ onto a space $\mathbb{H}^{N}$ spanned by $N$-order Hermite polynomials. While successive order approximations retain an increasing number of leading-order moments of $f$, the presented procedure produces a hierarchy of (single) $N$-order partial-differential equations providing exact analytical description of the hydrodynamics rendered by ($N$-order) lattice Boltzmann--BGK (LBGK) simulation. Numerical analysis is performed with LBGK models and direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) for the case of a sinusoidal shear wave (Kolmogorov flow) in a wide range of Weissenberg number $Wi=\tau\nu k^2$ (i.e. Knudsen number $Kn=\lambda k=\sqrt{Wi}$); $k$ is the wavenumber, $\tau$ the relaxation time of the system, $\lambda\simeq\tau c_s$ the mean-free path, and $c_s$ the speed of sound. The present results elucidate the applicability of LBGK simulation under general non-equilibrium conditions.