Studies of Extreme Energy Localizations With Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics

Smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) is used to simulate hydrodynamic waves and wave phenomena including focusing from wave interference. This Lagrangian based method can be used to naturally simulate hydrodynamic free surfaces, including the free surface of a breaking wave. A virtual wave tank is simulated where wave motions can be excited from either side. Wave focusing is observed at the tank center, where the waves interfere. As a measure of the interference, the wave heights that result from focusing are presented. Certain types of wave focusing are thought to lead to large ocean waves. The efficacy of SPH in modeling wave focusing is critical to further understanding and predicting extreme wave phenomena with SPH.