UPERBOX - an efficient code for collisionless galactic dynamics

Fellhauer, M., Kroupa, P., Baumgardt, H., Bien, R., Boily, C. M., Spurzem, R., Wassmer, N.

Abstract:

We present SUPERBOX, a particle-mesh code with high resolution sub-grids and an NGP (nearest grid point) force-calculation scheme based on the second derivatives of the potential. Image implements a fast low-storage FFT-algorithm, giving the possibility to work with millions of particles on desk-top computers. Test calculations show energy and angular momentum conservation to one part in 105 per crossing-time. The effects of grid and numerical relaxation remain negligible, even when these calculations cover a Hubble-time of evolution. As the sub-grids follow the trajectories of individual galaxies, the code allows a highly resolved treatment of interactions in clusters of galaxies, such as high-velocity encounters between elliptical galaxies and the tidal disruption of dwarf galaxies. Excellent agreement is obtained in a comparison with a direct-summation N-body code running on special-purpose GRAPE3 hardware. The orbital decay of satellite galaxies due to dynamical friction obtained with SUPERBOX agrees with Chandrasekhar's treatment when the Coulomb logarithm is ln Lambda = 1.5.


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