Lattice Boltzmann approach to rarefied gas flows using half-range Gauss-Hermite quadratures: Comparison to DSMC results based on ab initio potentials

Abstract

In this paper, we employ the lattice Boltzmann method to solve the Boltzmann equation with the Shakhov model for the collision integral in the context of the 3D planar Couette flow. The half-range Gauss-Hermite quadrature is used to account for the wall-induced discontinuity in the distribution function. The lattice Boltzmann simulation results are compared with direct simulation Monte Carlo (DSMC) results for ${}^3{\rm He}$ and ${}^4{\rm He}$ atoms interacting via ab initio potentials, at various values of the rarefaction parameter $\delta$, where the temperature of the plates varies from $1\ {\rm K}$ up to $3000\ {\rm K}$. Good agreement is observed between the results obtained using the Shakhov model and the DSMC data at large values of the rarefaction parameter. The agreement deteriorates as the rarefaction parameter is decreased, however we highlight that the relative errors in the non-diagonal component of the shear stress do not exceed $2.5\%$.