A block pseudospectral method for Maxwell's equations. I: One-dimensional case (Q1387890)

This paper proposes a block pseudospectral (BPS) method in order to couple pseudospectral discretizations across interfaces in computations for a linear hyperbolic system. The coupling is obtained by discretized derivative-matching conditions from the system. This method offers a better stability and accuracy than the standard technique, mainly in the case where the equation coefficients are discontinuous. Computational examples for Maxwell's equations in nonhomogeneous media demonstrate that BPS retains high accuracy over times that are orders of magnitude larger than those for not only low-order methods, but also high-order methods, such as characteristic-based elements.