Bürchner, TimTimBürchnerRadtke, LarsLarsRadtkeEisenträger, SaschaSaschaEisenträgerDüster, AlexanderAlexanderDüsterRank, ErnstErnstRankKollmannsberger, StefanStefanKollmannsbergerKopp, PhilippPhilippKopp2026-01-272026-01-272026-04-15Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering 452: 118727 (2026)https://hdl.handle.net/11420/61099Explicit time integration for immersed finite element discretizations severely suffers from the influence of poorly cut elements. In this contribution, we propose a generalized eigenvalue stabilization (GEVS) strategy for the element mass matrices of cut elements to cure their adverse impact on the critical time step size of the global system. We use spectral basis functions, specifically C0 continuous Lagrangian interpolation polynomials defined on Gauss-Lobatto-Legendre (GLL) points, which, in combination with its associated GLL quadrature rule, yield high-order convergent diagonal mass matrices for uncut elements. Moreover, considering cut elements, we combine the proposed GEVS approach with the finite cell method to guarantee definiteness of the system matrices. However, the proposed GEVS stabilization can directly be applied to other immersed boundary finite element methods. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the stabilization strategy achieves optimal convergence rates and recovers critical time step sizes of equivalent boundary-conforming discretizations. This also holds in the presence of weakly enforced Dirichlet boundary conditions using either Nitsche's method or penalty formulations.en0045-78252026Elsevierhttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Explicit dynamicsFinite cell methodGeneralized eigenvalue stabilizationImmersed boundary methodSpectral cell methodSpectral element methodWave equationNatural Sciences and Mathematics::518: Numerical AnalysisNatural Sciences and Mathematics::531: Classical MechanicsTechnology::620: EngineeringJournal Articlehttps://doi.org/10.15480/882.1658510.1016/j.cma.2026.11872710.15480/882.16585Journal Article