Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics

Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics is a computational method that uses Lagrangian physics such that the coordinates move with the fluid elements. It implements a smoothing length that applies different levels of interaction from nearby particles that are relative to the spacing. This means that the algorithm can “smooth” all of the properties of the fluid making it possible to resolve various computationally difficult situations. It was originally developed in 1977 by Gingold and Monaghan and Lucy independently for use in modeling protostar formation and has since become quite popular not only in further astrophysics applications, but in various fields such as ballistics and oceanography.

Image - Mihai Basa et al., Robustness and accuracy of SPH formulations for viscous flow, Numerical Methods in Fluids, Volume 60, 10:1127–1148 (2009)

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Projects

Centre for Doctoral Training in Next Generation Computational Modelling

Hans Fangohr, Ian Hawke, Peter Horak (Investigators), Susanne Ufermann Fangohr, Thorsten Wittemeier, Kieran Selvon, Alvaro Perez-Diaz, David Lusher, Ashley Setter, Emanuele Zappia, Hossam Ragheb, Ryan Pepper, Stephen Gow, Jan Kamenik, Paul Chambers, Robert Entwistle, Rory Brown, Joshua Greenhalgh, James Harrison, Jonathon Waters, Ioannis Begleris, Craig Rafter

The £10million Centre for Doctoral Training was launched in November 2013 and is jointly funded by EPSRC, the University of Southampton, and its partners.

The NGCM brings together world-class simulation modelling research activities from across the University of Southampton and hosts a 4-year doctoral training programme that is the first of its kind in the UK.

Modelling of neutron star interactions in X-ray binary systems

Malcolm Coe (Investigator), Rory Brown

Investigating the X-ray production mechanisms of binaries containing neutron stars and the decretion disks of Be stars using Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH).