Avoiding issues when propagating a laser with dt=0

docs/source/run/parameters.rst

@@ -249,7 +249,7 @@ Time step
 * ``hipace.max_time`` (`float`) optional (default `infinity`)
     Maximum physical time of the simulation. The ``dt`` of the last time step may be reduced so that ``t + dt = max_time``, both for the adaptive and a fixed time step.
 
-* ``hipace.dt`` (`float` or `string`) optional (default `0.`)
+* ``hipace.dt`` (`float` or `string`)
     Time step to advance the particle beam. For adaptive time step, use ``"adaptive"``.
 
 * ``hipace.dt_max`` (`float`) optional (default `inf`)

examples/laser_ionization/inputs_laser_ionization

@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 max_step = 0
-hipace.dt = 0
+hipace.dt = 10.e-6/clight
 hipace.verbose = 3
 
 amr.n_cell = 50 50 50

src/Hipace.cpp

@@ -97,9 +97,9 @@ Hipace::Hipace () :
     amrex::ParmParse pph("hipace");
 
     std::string str_dt {""};
-    queryWithParser(pph, "dt", str_dt);
+    getWithParser(pph, "dt", str_dt);
     if (str_dt != "adaptive") {
-        queryWithParser(pph, "dt", m_dt);
+        getWithParser(pph, "dt", m_dt);
         m_max_time = std::copysign(m_max_time, m_dt);
     }
     queryWithParser(pph, "max_time", m_max_time);

src/laser/MultiLaser.cpp

@@ -421,6 +421,8 @@ MultiLaser::AdvanceSlice (const int islice, const Fields& fields, amrex::Real dt
 
     if (!UseLaser(islice)) return;
 
+    AMREX_ALWAYS_ASSERT_WITH_MESSAGE(dt!=0, "cannot use dt=0 with Laser");
+
     Hipace::m_num_laser_cells_updated += m_slice_box.d_numPts();
 
     InterpolateChi(fields, geom_field_lev0);