A divergence preserving cut finite element method for Darcy flow

We study cut finite element discretizations of a Darcy interface problem based on the mixed finite element pairs $\textbf{RT}_0\times\text{P}_0$, $\textbf{BDM}_1\times \text{P}_0$, and $\textbf{RT}_1\times \text{P}_1$. We show that the standard ghost penalty stabilization, often added in the weak forms of cut finite element methods for stability and control of the condition number of the resulting linear system matrix, pollutes the computed velocity field so the divergence-free property of the considered elements is lost. Therefore, we propose two corrections to the standard stabilization strategy; using macro-elements and new stabilization terms for the pressure. By decomposing the computational mesh into macro-elements and applying ghost penalty terms only on interior edges of macro-elements, stabilization is active only where needed. By modifying the standard stabilization terms for the pressure we recover the optimal approximation of the divergence without losing control of the condition number of the linear system matrix. Numerical experiments indicate that with the new stabilization terms the unfitted finite element discretization, for the given element pairs, results in 1) optimal rates of convergence of the approximate velocity and pressure; 2) well-posed linear systems where the condition number of the system matrix scales as for fitted finite element discretizations; 3) optimal rates of convergence of the approximate divergence with pointwise divergence-free approximations of solenoidal velocity fields. All three properties hold independently of how the interface is positioned relative the computational mesh.