Astrophysical Validation

TL;DR

This paper discusses methods for validating astrophysical simulation components through laboratory experiments and code module validation, addressing the challenge of multi-scale physics modeling in astrophysics.

Contribution

It provides an overview of validation strategies with two specific examples: hydrodynamics validation via laboratory experiments and code module validation for astrophysical simulations.

Findings

Hydrodynamics validated with high-energy density experiments.

Code modules validated for both macroscopic simulations and post-processing.

Enhanced confidence in simulation accuracy for astrophysical phenomena.

Abstract

We present examples of validating components of an astrophysical simulation code. Problems of stellar astrophysics are multi-dimensional and involve physics acting on large ranges of length and time scales that are impossible to include in macroscopic models on present computational resources. Simulating these events thus necessitates the development of sub-grid-scale models and the capability to post-process simulations with higher-fidelitymethods.We present an overview of the problem of validating astrophysical models and simulations illustrated with two examples. First, we present a study aimed at validating hydrodynamicswith high energy density laboratory experiments probing shocks and fluid instabilities. Second, we present an effort at validating code modules for use in both macroscopic simulations of astrophysical events and for post processing Lagrangian tracer particles to calculate detailed abundances from thermonuclear reactions occurring during an event.