GAMERA-OP: A three-dimensional finite-volume MHD solver for orthogonal curvilinear geometries

Abstract

We present GAMERA-OP (Orthogonal-Plus), a three-dimensional finite-volume magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) solver for orthogonal curvilinear geometries. The solver advances magnetic fields using constrained transport to preserve $\nabla\!\cdot\!\mathbf{B}=0$ to machine precision and employs geometry-consistent high-order reconstruction with an enhanced Partial Donor Cell method (e-PDM) that accounts for geometry curvature. Flexible numerics include various numerical fluxes and time integrators. In axial symmetric coordinates, angular momentum are preserved to round-off, and a ring-averaging treatment near the axis relaxes CFL constraints while maintaining divergence-free magnetic fields. Optional capabilities include the semi-relativistic (Boris) correction, background-field splitting, and an anisotropic MHD formulation. Rewritten in C, the code adopts a modular design that simplifies case setup and facilitates the addition of physics modules and coupling to other first-principles codes. Standard benchmarks across multiple geometries verify the code's high accuracy, low numerical diffusion, and robust handling of coordinate singularities and rotating flows. GAMERA-OP provides a practical, high-order framework for space and astrophysical plasma applications where orthogonal curvilinear coordinates and exact angular-momentum conservation are advantageous.