On convergence of the streamline diffusion and discontinuous Galerkin methods for the multi-dimensional Fermi pencil beam equation (Q2865648)

Continuing the long lasting work of the first author, the two authors consider the numerical solution of the Fermi equation describing the stationary behaviour of a particle beam normally incident on a slab of finite thickness. This is a 5-dimensional problem in which the \(x\) coordinate may be considered as time variable, and two further variables are the velocities in \(y\) and \(z\) direction. There is also an inherent degeneracy: the diffusion is taking place in the velocity variables, the transport in \(y\) and \(z\), and the problem is convection dominated.NEWLINENEWLINEInvestigating both the streamline diffusion and the discontinuous Galerkin method, the authors show the stability and convergence for the \(hp\) version of streamline diffusion and for both the \(h\) and the \(hp\) versions of the discontinuous Galerkin method. Here, they take shape regular affine elements and pay attention to the choice of the stability parameter locally changing in dependence on \(h\) (step size), \(p\) (polynomial degree) and the diffusion coefficient.NEWLINENEWLINEUsing, along with own results, works like those by \textit{P. Houston} and \textit{E. Süli} [Computing 66, No. 2, 99--119 (2001; Zbl 0985.65136)] and \textit{B. Stamm} and \textit{T. P. Wihler} [Math. Comput. 79, No. 272, 2117--2133 (2010; Zbl 1202.65151)], the authors obtain \(h\)- and \(hp\)-optimal rates of convergence in broken \(L_2\) spaces.