Comment on ``Symplectic integration of magnetic systems: A proof that the Boris algorithm is not variational

DOI10.1016/J.JCP.2015.09.007zbMATH Open1349.37083arXiv1509.02863OpenAlexW2212659771MaRDI QIDQ2374785FDOQ2374785

Authors: Yanyan Li 

Publication date: 5 December 2016

Published in: Journal of Computational Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: The Boris algorithm for integrating charged particle trajectories in electric and magnetic fields is popular due to its simple implementation, rapid iteration, and observed long-term numerical fidelity. The underlying cause of this long-term fidelity has become a matter of controversy, with one article claiming the method to be symplectic [S. D. Webb, J. Comput. Phys. 270 (2014) 570], and others claiming the method to be volume preserving but not symplectic [e.g. H. Qin et al., Phys. Plasmas 20 (2013) 084503]. To resolve the discrepancy, this letter leverages a discrete Helmholtz condition to demonstrate that no variational formulation of the Boris algorithm exists, indicating that the long-term fidelity should be attributed to the volume-preserving properties of the algorithm.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1509.02863

zbMATH Keywords

symplectic integrationvariational integratorsBoris algorithm

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Statistical mechanics of plasmas (82D10) Discretization methods and integrators (symplectic, variational, geometric, etc.) for dynamical systems (37M15) Dynamical systems in other branches of physics (quantum mechanics, general relativity, laser physics) (37N20)

Cites Work

• Discrete mechanics and variational integrators
• Geometric Numerical Integration
• Existence of invariant tori in volume-preserving diffeomorphisms
• Volume-preserving integrators
• Volume-preserving algorithms for charged particle dynamics
• Symplectic integration of magnetic systems
• Title not available (Why is that?)
• Comment on ``Symplectic integration of magnetic systems by Stephen D. Webb
• Volume-preserving integrators have linear error growth
• Helmholtz's inverse problem of the discrete calculus of variations

Cited In (8)

• High-order energy-conserving line integral methods for charged particle dynamics
• Explicit high-order gauge-independent symplectic algorithms for relativistic charged particle dynamics
• Large-stepsize integrators for charged-particle dynamics over multiple time scales
• Long-term analysis of a variational integrator for charged-particle dynamics in a strong magnetic field
• Exponential energy-preserving methods for charged-particle dynamics in a strong and constant magnetic field
• Efficient energy-preserving methods for charged-particle dynamics
• Energy behaviour of the Boris method for charged-particle dynamics
• Symmetric multistep methods for charged-particle dynamics

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