Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

A Variable Time-Step Midpoint Scheme For Hamiltonian Systems, Yosi Shibberu

Mathematical Sciences Technical Reports (MSTR)

A smooth time-step selection formula for the midpoint method is derived which minimize deviations in the Hamiltonian function along piecewise-linear phase space trajectories of autonomous Hamiltonian systems. The time-step formula is implemented in a second order pre­dictor/corrector scheme and applied to Kepler's problem. The formula significantly improves energy conservation as well as the accuracy of the configuration space trajectory. Peak errors in position and momentum coordinates are not significantly reduced, but the time behavior of the errors is markedly more regular.