Summary

ZEUS-3D is a computational fluid dynamics code developed at the Laboratory for Computational Astrophysics (NCSA, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) for the simulation of astrophysical phenomena. ZEUS-3D solves problems in one, two, or three spatial dimensions with a wide variety of boundary conditions. A source-code preprocessor allows the user to customize the ZEUS-3D algorithm for the desired physics, geometry, and output.

Physics Included

ZEUS-3D solves the equations of ideal (non-resistive), non-relativistic, magnetohydrodynamics, including externally applied gravitational fields and self-gravity. The gas can be adiabatic or isothermal, and the thermal pressure is isotropic. Boundary conditions may be specified as reflecting, periodic, inflow, or outflow.

Geometries

ZEUS-3D solves problems in Cartesian (x, y, z), cylindrical-polar (z, r, phi), and spherical-polar (r, theta, phi) coordinate systems.

Algorithm

• ZEUS-3D is a finite difference code with a fixed or moving orthogonal Eulerian mesh.

• Time integration is fully explicit, with the time step controlled by the Courant condition.

• The mesh is staggered, with zone-centered scalar quantities (density, energy) and face-centered vector components (velocity, magnetic field) to increase accuracy.

• The algorithm is written in a "covariant" form to minimize the effect of the choice of coordinate systemson the structure of the code.

• One- and two-dimensional simulations are treated efficiently by reducing the unused coordinates to symmetry axes.

• von-Neumann-Richtmyer artificial viscosity is used to spread shocks over several mesh zones.

• The upstream weighted, monotonicity-preserving advection schemes are exactly conservative. The Donor Cell (first order), van Leer (second order), or Piecewise Parabolic (third order) method may be selected.

• The magnetic field components are evolved in a manner that ensures that the divergence vanishes and that all possible MHD modes propagate accurately and stably (Evans and Hawley Constrained Transport scheme modified by Stone and Norman using the Method of Characteristics).

• The DADI (Dynamical Alternating Direction Implicit) scheme solves Poisson's equation for the gravitational potential.

Graphical Output

• Metacodes for 1- and 2-D NCAR graphics line, contour, and vector plots, including annotation.

• Line-of-sight integration is performed for a variety of variables, including Stokes parameters.

• Pixel, Voxel dumps in raw raster or HDF format.

• Various scalar quantities can be plotted as a function of time.

The Code

The Zeus-3D Fortran code can be downloaded here.

Benchmarks

• Shkset

• Technical Report comparing the ZEUS-MP and ZEUS-3D implementations and performance on the SGI POWER Challenge Array and HP/Convex Exemplar SPP-1200.

• ZEUS-MP vs. ZEUS-3D Scaling Studies

• Blast using CT scheme

• Blast using MoC scheme

• Parallel performance comparison (bake-off) for Blast using MoC scheme

For More Information

• See the ZEUS-3D User Manual

• See the series of 3 papers on ZEUS-2D in the Astrophysical Journal Supplement Series, vol. 80, 1992:

  1. Stone and Norman (I . HYDRO), p. 753

  2. Stone and Norman (II. MHD ), p. 791

  3. Stone, Mihalas, and Norman (III. RHD ), p. 819

• Frequently Asked Questions sheet -- revised 8/19/95

• Readme file on how to download and compile ZEUS-3D -- revised 8/6/96

• README.v3.4 file with latest release notes -- revised 8/18/95

• zeus34.s The well-documented script that builds the executable -- revised 6/4/99