Adaptive Mesh Refinement and Embedded Boundary Method for Streamer Discharge Simulations

We simulate streamer discharges in both two and three dimensions using an adaptive Cartesian mesh refinement and the embedded boundary (EB) method. The simulations are based on a minimal fluid model, using a typical pin-plate domain. The EB method is applied to handle curved boundaries, and the adaptive mesh is introduced to reduce the number of degrees of freedom and improve the computational efficiency. Numerical experiments demonstrate the second-order convergence of the EB method and validate the efficiency of the adaptive mesh refinement (AMR). The effects of two different anode shapes are compared in 3-D streamer discharges, and the interaction of streamers near pin electrode is studied.