On Mon, Feb 18, 2013 at 3:11 PM, Kelly, Bernard J. (GSFC-660.0)[UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE COUNTY] <bernard.j.kelly@nasa.gov> wrote:
[re-sent, with smaller attachment]

Hi Roland, and thanks for your reply. I'm still a bit confused, I confess
(see below) ...


On 2/16/13 12:38 AM, "Roland Haas" <roland.haas@physics.gatech.edu> wrote:

>Hello Bernard,
>
>> Hi. Can someone explain to me why ML_BSSN calls SelectBoundConds within
>> MoL_PostStep? It seems like the kind of once-off routine that would
>>happen
>> near the start of a simulation, rather than something that has to be
>> performed every single timestep.
>In the "new" boundary/symmetry interface (ie using thorn Boundary and
>Symbase) one has to Select the variables for boundaries each time before
>ApplyBCs is scheduled. There is a routine in Boundaries that clears the
>selection.

OK; but can you tell me *why* this is? Why should we ever have to
re-specify what kind of boundary conditions we use during a simulation,
any more than we re-specify the evolution equations? Perhaps I don't
really understand what "select the variables" means here.

Boundary conditions can be applied at different points during a simulation, and one may want to apply different boundary conditions at different times.

The canonical example is the conformal factor: While calculating initial conditions (e.g. with an elliptic solver), one wants to apply Robin boundary conditions; during evolution, one wants a radiative boundary condition. Similar arguments would hold if one were to enforce constraints during evolution.

-erik

--
Erik Schnetter <schnetter@cct.lsu.edu>
http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/personal/eschnetter/