Algorithm refinement for fluctuating hydrodynamics

This paper introduces an adaptive mesh and algorithm refinement method for fluctuating hydrodynamics. This particle-continuum hybrid simulates the dynamics of a compressible fluid with thermal fluctuations. The particle algorithm is direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC), a molecular-level scheme based on the Boltzmann equation. The continuum algorithm is based on the Landau-Lifshitz Navier-Stokes (LLNS) equations, which incorporate thermal fluctuations into macroscopic hydrodynamics by using stochastic fluxes. It uses a recently-developed solver for LLNS, based on third-order Runge-Kutta. We present numerical tests of systems in and out of equilibrium, including time-dependent systems, and demonstrate dynamic adaptive refinement by the computation of a moving shock wave. Mean system behavior and second moment statistics of our simulations match theoretical values and benchmarks well. We find that particular attention should be paid to the spectrum of the flux at the interface between the particle and continuum methods, specifically for the non-hydrodynamic (kinetic) time scales