[aspect-devel] Averaging material properties

[Wolfgang Bangerth]

Bruno,

> this is pretty cool. There is actually a similar problem in reactor physics
> and a lengthy literature on how to do the homogenization on a cell correctly.
> To (grossly) simplify the idea, if you can compute the distribution of the
> viscosity on some typical cases, you can use these distributions for your
> coarse calculation. This will fix the huge difference in results that you see.

That's actually quite interesting to see that other fields have similar problems.

I think that in reactor physics, you need to homogenize because you can't 
resolve the features. But you can assume that they are somewhat periodic. In 
the geosciences, you have these discontinuities, but they're not everywhere: 
say, they're just a plate subducting beneath another, in an otherwise rather 
smooth medium. I don't know how to apply homogenization theory in such cases. 
What do people in your field do?

Best
  W.

-- 
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Wolfgang Bangerth               email:            bangerth at math.tamu.edu
                                 www: http://www.math.tamu.edu/~bangerth/