A high-order source removal finite element method for a class of elliptic interface problems

A high-order finite element method based on unfitted meshes for solving a class of elliptic interface problems whose solution and its normal derivative have finite jumps across an interface is proposed in this paper. The idea of the method is based on the source removal technique first introduced in the immersed interface method (IIM). The strategy is to use the level set representation of the interface and extend the jump conditions that are defined along the interface to a neighborhood of the interface. In our numerical method, the jump conditions only need to be extended to the Lagrange points of elements intersecting with the interface. Optimal error estimates of the method in the broken H1 and L2 norms are rigorously proven. Numerical examples presented in this paper also confirm our theoretical analysis.