3D meshfree magnetohydrodynamics

Abstract

We describe a new method to include magnetic fields into smooth particle hydrodynamics. The derivation of the self-gravitating hydrodynamics equations from a variational principle is discussed in some detail. The non-dissipative magnetic field evolution is instantiated by advecting so-called Euler potentials. This approach enforces the crucial B = 0-constraint by construction. These recent developments are implemented in our three-dimensional, self-gravitating magnetohydrodynamics code MAGMA. A suite of tests is presented that demonstrates the superiority of this new approach in comparison to previous implementations.