Data-driven spectral filters for decomposing the streamwise turbulent kinetic energy in turbulent boundary layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baars, Woutijn J.; Hutchins, Nicholas; Marusic, Ivan

2017-11-01

An organization in wall-bounded turbulence is evidenced by the classification of distinctly different flow structures, including large-scale motions such as hairpin packets and very large-scale motions or superstructures. In conjunction with less organized turbulence, these flow structures all contribute to the streamwise turbulent kinetic energy . Since different class structures comprise dissimilar scalings of their overlapping imprints in the streamwise velocity spectra, their coexistence complicates the interpretation of the wall-normal trend in and its Reynolds number dependence. Via coherence analyses of two-point data in boundary layers we derive spectral filters for stochastically decomposing the streamwise spectra into sub-components, representing different types of statistical flow structures. It is also explored how the decomposition reflects the spectral break-down following the modeling attempts of Perry et al. 1986 and Marusic & Perry 1995. In the process we reveal a universal wall-scaling for a portion of the outer-region turbulence that is coherent with the near-wall region for Reτ O(103) to O(106) , which is described as a wall-attached self-similar structure embedded within the logarithmic region.

Dissipative structures in magnetorotational turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, Johnathan; Latter, Henrik N.

2018-07-01

Via the process of accretion, magnetorotational turbulence removes energy from a disc's orbital motion and transforms it into heat. Turbulent heating is far from uniform and is usually concentrated in small regions of intense dissipation, characterized by abrupt magnetic reconnection and higher temperatures. These regions are of interest because they might generate non-thermal emission, in the form of flares and energetic particles, or thermally process solids in protoplanetary discs. Moreover, the nature of the dissipation bears on the fundamental dynamics of the magnetorotational instability (MRI) itself: local simulations indicate that the large-scale properties of the turbulence (e.g. saturation levels and the stress-pressure relationship) depend on the short dissipative scales. In this paper we undertake a numerical study of how the MRI dissipates and the small-scale dissipative structures it employs to do so. We use the Godunov code RAMSES and unstratified compressible shearing boxes. Our simulations reveal that dissipation is concentrated in ribbons of strong magnetic reconnection that are significantly elongated in azimuth, up to a scale height. Dissipative structures are hence meso-scale objects, and potentially provide a route by which large scales and small scales interact. We go on to show how these ribbons evolve over time - forming, merging, breaking apart, and disappearing. Finally, we reveal important couplings between the large-scale density waves generated by the MRI and the small-scale structures, which may illuminate the stress-pressure relationship in MRI turbulence.

Numerical study of axial turbulent flow over long cylinders

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neves, J. C.; Moin, P.; Moser, R. D.

1991-01-01

The effects of transverse curvature are investigated by means of direct numerical simulations of turbulent axial flow over cylinders. Two cases of Reynolds number of about 3400 and layer-thickness-to-cylinder-radius ratios of 5 and 11 were simulated. All essential turbulence scales were resolved in both calculations, and a large number of turbulence statistics were computed. The results are compared with the plane channel results of Kim et al. (1987) and with experiments. With transverse curvature the skin friction coefficient increases and the turbulence statistics, when scaled with wall units, are lower than in the plane channel. The momentum equation provides a scaling that collapses the cylinder statistics, and allows the results to be interpreted in light of the plane channel flow. The azimuthal and radial length scales of the structures in the flow are of the order of the cylinder diameter. Boomerang-shaped structures with large spanwise length scales were observed in the flow.

Turbulence sources, character, and effects in the stable boundary layer: Insights from multi-scale direct numerical simulations and new, high-resolution measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fritts, Dave; Wang, Ling; Balsley, Ben; Lawrence, Dale

2013-04-01

A number of sources contribute to intermittent small-scale turbulence in the stable boundary layer (SBL). These include Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI), gravity wave (GW) breaking, and fluid intrusions, among others. Indeed, such sources arise naturally in response to even very simple "multi-scale" superpositions of larger-scale GWs and smaller-scale GWs, mean flows, or fine structure (FS) throughout the atmosphere and the oceans. We describe here results of two direct numerical simulations (DNS) of these GW-FS interactions performed at high resolution and high Reynolds number that allow exploration of these turbulence sources and the character and effects of the turbulence that arises in these flows. Results include episodic turbulence generation, a broad range of turbulence scales and intensities, PDFs of dissipation fields exhibiting quasi-log-normal and more complex behavior, local turbulent mixing, and "sheet and layer" structures in potential temperature that closely resemble high-resolution measurements. Importantly, such multi-scale dynamics differ from their larger-scale, quasi-monochromatic gravity wave or quasi-horizontally homogeneous shear flow instabilities in significant ways. The ability to quantify such multi-scale dynamics with new, very high-resolution measurements is also advancing rapidly. New in-situ sensors on small, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), balloons, or tethered systems are enabling definition of SBL (and deeper) environments and turbulence structure and dissipation fields with high spatial and temporal resolution and precision. These new measurement and modeling capabilities promise significant advances in understanding small-scale instability and turbulence dynamics, in quantifying their roles in mixing, transport, and evolution of the SBL environment, and in contributing to improved parameterizations of these dynamics in mesoscale, numerical weather prediction, climate, and general circulation models. We expect such measurement and modeling capabilities to also aid in the design of new and more comprehensive future SBL measurement programs.

Influence of small-scale turbulence on cup anemometer calibrations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marraccini, M.; Bak-Kristensen, K.; Horn, A.; Fifield, E.; Hansen, S. O.

2017-11-01

The paper presents and discusses the calibration results of cup anemometers under different levels of small-scale turbulence. Small-scale turbulence is known to govern the curvature of shear layers around structures and is not related to the traditional under and over speeding of cup anemometers originating from large-scale turbulence components. The paper has shown that the small-scale turbulence has a significant effect on the calibration results obtained for cup anemometers. At 10m/s the rotational speed seems to change by approx. 0.5% due to different simulations of the small-scale turbulence. The work which this paper is based on, is part of the TrueWind research project, aiming to increase accuracy of mast top-mounted cup anemometer measurements.

Small-scale structure and turbulence observed in MAP/WINE)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Blix, T. A.

1989-01-01

During MAP/WINE small scale structure and turbulence in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere was studied in situ by rocket-borne instruments as well as from the ground by remote sensing techniques. The eight salvoes launched during the campaign resulted in a wealth of information on the dynamical structure of these regions. The experimental results are reviewed and their interpretation is discussed in terms of gravity waves and turbulence. It is shown that eddy diffusion coefficients and turbulent energy dissipation rates may be derived from the in situ measurements in a consistent manner. The observations are also shown to be consistent with the hypothesis that turbulence can be created by a process of gravity wave saturation.

Flow turbulence topology in regular porous media: From macroscopic to microscopic scale with direct numerical simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Xu; Weigand, Bernhard; Vaikuntanathan, Visakh

2018-06-01

Microscopic analysis of turbulence topology in a regular porous medium is presented with a series of direct numerical simulation. The regular porous media are comprised of square cylinders in a staggered array. Triply periodic boundary conditions enable efficient investigations in a representative elementary volume. Three flow patterns—channel with sudden contraction, impinging surface, and wake—are observed and studied quantitatively in contrast to the qualitative experimental studies reported in the literature. Among these, shear layers in the channel show the highest turbulence intensity due to a favorable pressure gradient and shed due to an adverse pressure gradient downstream. The turbulent energy budget indicates a strong production rate after the flow contraction and a strong dissipation on both shear and impinging walls. Energy spectra and pre-multiplied spectra detect large scale energetic structures in the shear layer and a breakup of scales in the impinging layer. However, these large scale structures break into less energetic small structures at high Reynolds number conditions. This suggests an absence of coherent structures in densely packed porous media at high Reynolds numbers. Anisotropy analysis with a barycentric map shows that the turbulence in porous media is highly isotropic in the macro-scale, which is not the case in the micro-scale. In the end, proper orthogonal decomposition is employed to distinguish the energy-conserving structures. The results support the pore scale prevalence hypothesis. However, energetic coherent structures are observed in the case with sparsely packed porous media.

Characteristics of transitional and turbulent jet diffusion flames in microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bahadori, Yousef M.; Small, James F., Jr.; Hegde, Uday G.; Zhou, Liming; Stocker, Dennis P.

1995-01-01

This paper presents the ground-based results obtained to date in preparation of a proposed space experiment to study the role of large-scale structures in microgravity transitional and turbulent gas-jet diffusion flames by investigating the dynamics of vortex/flame interactions and their influence on flame characteristics. The overall objective is to gain an understanding of the fundamental characteristics of transitional and turbulent gas-jet diffusion flames. Understanding of the role of large-scale structures on the characteristics of microgravity transitional and turbulent flames will ultimately lead to improved understanding of normal-gravity turbulent combustion.

Turbulence in nature and in the laboratory

PubMed Central

Warhaft, Z.

2002-01-01

Fluid turbulence has attracted the attention of physicists, mathematicians, and engineers for over 100 years, yet it remains an unsolved problem. The reasons for the difficulties are outlined and recent advances in describing its small-scale statistical structure are described. Contrary to traditional notions, new experimental evidence indicates that the small scales are anisotropic, reflecting the overall character of the flow. The consequences of this finding with regard to the long-held postulate of the universality of the small-scale turbulence structure are discussed. PMID:11875199

Broken Symmetries and Magnetic Dynamos

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shebalin, John V.

2007-01-01

Phase space symmetries inherent in the statistical theory of ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence are known to be broken dynamically to produce large-scale coherent magnetic structure. Here, results of a numerical study of decaying MHD turbulence are presented that show large-scale coherent structure also arises and persists in the presence of dissipation. Dynamically broken symmetries in MHD turbulence may thus play a fundamental role in the dynamo process.

Sound production due to large-scale coherent structures. [and identification of noise mechanisms in turbulent shear flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gatski, T. B.

1979-01-01

The sound due to the large-scale (wavelike) structure in an infinite free turbulent shear flow is examined. Specifically, a computational study of a plane shear layer is presented, which accounts, by way of triple decomposition of the flow field variables, for three distinct component scales of motion (mean, wave, turbulent), and from which the sound - due to the large-scale wavelike structure - in the acoustic field can be isolated by a simple phase average. The computational approach has allowed for the identification of a specific noise production mechanism, viz the wave-induced stress, and has indicated the effect of coherent structure amplitude and growth and decay characteristics on noise levels produced in the acoustic far field.

Enhanced Spectral Anisotropies Near the Proton-Cyclotron Scale: Possible Two-Component Structure in Hall-FLR MHD Turbulence Simulations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghosh, Sanjoy; Goldstein, Melvyn L.

2011-01-01

Recent analysis of the magnetic correlation function of solar wind fluctuations at 1 AU suggests the existence of two-component structure near the proton-cyclotron scale. Here we use two-and-one-half dimensional and three-dimensional compressible MHD models to look for two-component structure adjacent the proton-cyclotron scale. Our MHD system incorporates both Hall and Finite Larmor Radius (FLR) terms. We find that strong spectral anisotropies appear adjacent the proton-cyclotron scales depending on selections of initial condition and plasma beta. These anisotropies are enhancements on top of related anisotropies that appear in standard MHD turbulence in the presence of a mean magnetic field and are suggestive of one turbulence component along the inertial scales and another component adjacent the dissipative scales. We compute the relative strengths of linear and nonlinear accelerations on the velocity and magnetic fields to gauge the relative influence of terms that drive the system with wave-like (linear) versus turbulent (nonlinear) dynamics.

Beam wander and M2-factor of partially coherent electromagnetic hollow Gaussian beam propagating through non-Kolmogorov turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Yonggen; Tian, Huanhuan; Dan, Youquan; Feng, Hao; Wang, Shijian

2017-04-01

Propagation formulae for M2-factor and beam wander of partially coherent electromagnetic hollow Gaussian (PCEHG) beam in non-Kolmogorov turbulence are derived based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle and the second-order moments of the Wigner distribution function. Our results indicate that the normalized M2-factors of PCEHG beam with larger beam order, waist width, inner scale of turbulence, the generalized exponent parameter, and smaller transverse coherent widths, outer scale of turbulence, the generalized structure parameter are less affected by the turbulence. The root mean square beam wander and relative beam wander are more obvious for PCEHG beam with smaller beam order, larger inner and outer scales of turbulence, exponent parameter, transverse coherent widths, and the generalized structure parameter. What is more, the beam wander properties of PCEHG beam in non-Kolmogorov turbulence are very different from M2-factor and spreading properties of beam in turbulence.

Dissipative structures of diffuse molecular gas. III. Small-scale intermittency of intense velocity-shears

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hily-Blant, P.; Falgarone, E.; Pety, J.

2008-04-01

Aims: We further characterize the structures tentatively identified on thermal and chemical grounds as the sites of dissipation of turbulence in molecular clouds (Papers I and II). Methods: Our study is based on two-point statistics of line centroid velocities (CV), computed from three large 12CO maps of two fields. We build the probability density functions (PDF) of the CO line centroid velocity increments (CVI) over lags varying by an order of magnitude. Structure functions of the line CV are computed up to the 6th order. We compare these statistical properties in two translucent parsec-scale fields embedded in different large-scale environments, one far from virial balance and the other virialized. We also address their scale dependence in the former, more turbulent, field. Results: The statistical properties of the line CV bear the three signatures of intermittency in a turbulent velocity field: (1) the non-Gaussian tails in the CVI PDF grow as the lag decreases, (2) the departure from Kolmogorov scaling of the high-order structure functions is more pronounced in the more turbulent field, (3) the positions contributing to the CVI PDF tails delineate narrow filamentary structures (thickness ~0.02 pc), uncorrelated to dense gas structures and spatially coherent with thicker ones (~0.18 pc) observed on larger scales. We show that the largest CVI trace sharp variations of the extreme CO linewings and that they actually capture properties of the underlying velocity field, uncontaminated by density fluctuations. The confrontation with theoretical predictions leads us to identify these small-scale filamentary structures with extrema of velocity-shears. We estimate that viscous dissipation at the 0.02 pc-scale in these structures is up to 10 times higher than average, consistent with their being associated with gas warmer than the bulk. Last, their average direction is parallel (or close) to that of the local magnetic field projection. Conclusions: Turbulence in these translucent fields exhibits the statistical and structural signatures of small-scale and inertial-range intermittency. The more turbulent field on the 30 pc-scale is also the more intermittent on small scales. The small-scale intermittent structures coincide with those formerly identified as sites of enhanced dissipation. They are organized into parsec-scale coherent structures, coupling a broad range of scales. Based on observations carried out with the IRAM-30 m telescope. IRAM is supported by INSU-CNRS/MPG/IGN.

Disruption of Alfvénic turbulence by magnetic reconnection in a collisionless plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mallet, Alfred; Schekochihin, Alexander A.; Chandran, Benjamin D. G.

2017-12-01

We calculate the disruption scale \\text{D}$ at which sheet-like structures in dynamically aligned Alfvénic turbulence are destroyed by the onset of magnetic reconnection in a low- collisionless plasma. The scaling of \\text{D}$ depends on the order of the statistics being considered, with more intense structures being disrupted at larger scales. The disruption scale for the structures that dominate the energy spectrum is \\text{D}\\sim L\\bot 1/9(de\\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}s)4/9$ , where e$ is the electron inertial scale, s$ is the ion sound scale and \\bot $ is the outer scale of the turbulence. When e$ and s/L\\bot $ are sufficiently small, the scale \\text{D}$ is larger than s$ and there is a break in the energy spectrum at \\text{D}$ , rather than at s$ . We propose that the fluctuations produced by the disruption are circularised flux ropes, which may have already been observed in the solar wind. We predict the relationship between the amplitude and radius of these structures and quantify the importance of the disruption process to the cascade in terms of the filling fraction of undisrupted structures and the fractional reduction of the energy contained in them at the ion sound scale s$ . Both of these fractions depend strongly on e$ , with the disrupted structures becoming more important at lower e$ . Finally, we predict that the energy spectrum between \\text{D}$ and s$ is steeper than \\bot -3$ , when this range exists. Such a steep `transition range' is sometimes observed in short intervals of solar-wind turbulence. The onset of collisionless magnetic reconnection may therefore significantly affect the nature of plasma turbulence around the ion gyroscale.

Multi-fluid Dynamics for Supersonic Jet-and-Crossflows and Liquid Plug Rupture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hassan, Ezeldin A.

Multi-fluid dynamics simulations require appropriate numerical treatments based on the main flow characteristics, such as flow speed, turbulence, thermodynamic state, and time and length scales. In this thesis, two distinct problems are investigated: supersonic jet and crossflow interactions; and liquid plug propagation and rupture in an airway. Gaseous non-reactive ethylene jet and air crossflow simulation represents essential physics for fuel injection in SCRAMJET engines. The regime is highly unsteady, involving shocks, turbulent mixing, and large-scale vortical structures. An eddy-viscosity-based multi-scale turbulence model is proposed to resolve turbulent structures consistent with grid resolution and turbulence length scales. Predictions of the time-averaged fuel concentration from the multi-scale model is improved over Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes models originally derived from stationary flow. The response to the multi-scale model alone is, however, limited, in cases where the vortical structures are small and scattered thus requiring prohibitively expensive grids in order to resolve the flow field accurately. Statistical information related to turbulent fluctuations is utilized to estimate an effective turbulent Schmidt number, which is shown to be highly varying in space. Accordingly, an adaptive turbulent Schmidt number approach is proposed, by allowing the resolved field to adaptively influence the value of turbulent Schmidt number in the multi-scale turbulence model. The proposed model estimates a time-averaged turbulent Schmidt number adapted to the computed flowfield, instead of the constant value common to the eddy-viscosity-based Navier-Stokes models. This approach is assessed using a grid-refinement study for the normal injection case, and tested with 30 degree injection, showing improved results over the constant turbulent Schmidt model both in mean and variance of fuel concentration predictions. For the incompressible liquid plug propagation and rupture study, numerical simulations are conducted using an Eulerian-Lagrangian approach with a continuous-interface method. A reconstruction scheme is developed to allow topological changes during plug rupture by altering the connectivity information of the interface mesh. Rupture time is shown to be delayed as the initial precursor film thickness increases. During the plug rupture process, a sudden increase of mechanical stresses on the tube wall is recorded, which can cause tissue damage.

Structure of wind-shear turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trevino, G.; Laituri, T. R.

1989-01-01

The statistical characteristics of wind shear turbulence are modelled. Isotropic turbulence serves as the basis of comparison for the anisotropic turbulence which exists in wind shear. The question of turbulence scales in wind shear is addressed from the perspective of power spectral density.

A link between nonlinear self-organization and dissipation in drift-wave turbulence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Manz, P.; Birkenmeier, G.; Stroth, U.

Structure formation and self-organization in two-dimensional drift-wave turbulence show up in many different faces. Fluctuation data from a magnetized plasma are analyzed and three mechanisms transferring kinetic energy to large-scale structures are identified. Beside the common vortex merger, clustering of vortices constituting a large-scale strain field and vortex thinning, where due to the interactions of vortices of different scales larger vortices are amplified by the smaller ones, are observed. The vortex thinning mechanism appears to be the most efficient one to generate large scale structures in drift-wave turbulence. Vortex merging as well as vortex clustering are accompanied by strong energymore » transfer to small-scale noncoherent fluctuations (dissipation) balancing the negative entropy generation due to the self-organization process.« less

The Phenomenology of Small-Scale Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sreenivasan, K. R.; Antonia, R. A.

I have sometimes thought that what makes a man's work classic is often just this multiplicity [of interpretations], which invites and at the same time resists our craving for a clear understanding. Wright (1982, p. 34), on Wittgenstein's philosophy Small-scale turbulence has been an area of especially active research in the recent past, and several useful research directions have been pursued. Here, we selectively review this work. The emphasis is on scaling phenomenology and kinematics of small-scale structure. After providing a brief introduction to the classical notions of universality due to Kolmogorov and others, we survey the existing work on intermittency, refined similarity hypotheses, anomalous scaling exponents, derivative statistics, intermittency models, and the structure and kinematics of small-scale structure - the latter aspect coming largely from the direct numerical simulation of homogeneous turbulence in a periodic box.

Disruption of Alfvénic Turbulence by Magnetic Reconnection in a Collisionless Plasma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mallet, A.; Schekochihin, A. A.; Chandran, B. D. G.

2017-12-01

We propose a mechanism whereby the intense, sheet-like structures naturally formed by dynamically aligning Alfvénic turbulence are destroyed by the onset of magnetic reconnection at a scale λD, which we term the "disruption scale". The scaling of λD depends on the order of the statistics being considered, with more intense structures being disrupted at larger scales, and on the physical mechanism which effects the reconnection. In a low-β collisionless plasma, the disruption scale for the structures which dominate the energy spectrum is λD˜L⊥(deρs)4/9, where de is the electron inertial scale, ρs is the ion sound scale, and L⊥ is the outer scale of the turbulence. When βe and ρs/L⊥ are sufficiently small, λD is larger than ρs and there is a break in the energy spectrum at λD, rather than at ρs. We predict that the energy spectrum in the short range of scales between λD and ρs is steeper than k⊥-3, when this range exists. Such a "transition range" is sometimes observed in the solar wind turbulence. We further propose that the structures produced by the disruption process are circularised flux ropes, which may have already been observed in the solar wind. We make predictions for the amplitude and radius of these structures, and quantify the importance of the reconnection process by estimating the fraction of the remaining undisrupted structures at the ion scale. We show that at low enough βe, the disruption process significantly alters the nature of the fluctuations present at the ion scale, which provide the starting point for the sub-ion-scale kinetic-Alfvén-wave cascade. Thus, magnetic reconnection is shown to be crucially important to the turbulent cascade.

Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence in the Plasmoid-mediated Regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Comisso, L.; Huang, Y.-M.; Lingam, M.; Hirvijoki, E.; Bhattacharjee, A.

2018-02-01

Magnetohydrodynamic turbulence and magnetic reconnection are ubiquitous in astrophysical environments. In most situations these processes do not occur in isolation but interact with each other. This renders a comprehensive theory of these processes highly challenging. Here we propose a theory of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence driven at a large scale that self-consistently accounts for the mutual interplay with magnetic reconnection occurring at smaller scales. Magnetic reconnection produces plasmoids (flux ropes) that grow from turbulence-generated noise and eventually disrupt the sheet-like structures in which they are born. The disruption of these structures leads to a modification of the turbulent energy cascade, which in turn exerts a feedback effect on the plasmoid formation via the turbulence-generated noise. The energy spectrum in this plasmoid-mediated range steepens relative to the standard inertial range and does not follow a simple power law. As a result of the complex interplay between turbulence and reconnection, we also find that the length scale that marks the beginning of the plasmoid-mediated range and the dissipation length scale do not obey true power laws. The transitional magnetic Reynolds number above which the plasmoid formation becomes statistically significant enough to affect the turbulent cascade is fairly modest, implying that plasmoids are expected to modify the turbulent path to dissipation in many astrophysical systems.

Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence in the Plasmoid-mediated Regime

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Comisso, L.; Huang, Y. -M.; Lingam, M.

Magnetohydrodynamic turbulence and magnetic reconnection are ubiquitous in astrophysical environments. In most situations these processes do not occur in isolation but interact with each other. This renders a comprehensive theory of these processes highly challenging. Here we propose a theory of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence driven at a large scale that self-consistently accounts for the mutual interplay with magnetic reconnection occurring at smaller scales. Magnetic reconnection produces plasmoids (flux ropes) that grow from turbulence-generated noise and eventually disrupt the sheet-like structures in which they are born. The disruption of these structures leads to a modification of the turbulent energy cascade, which inmore » turn exerts a feedback effect on the plasmoid formation via the turbulence-generated noise. The energy spectrum in this plasmoid-mediated range steepens relative to the standard inertial range and does not follow a simple power law. As a result of the complex interplay between turbulence and reconnection, we also find that the length scale that marks the beginning of the plasmoid-mediated range and the dissipation length scale do not obey true power laws. The transitional magnetic Reynolds number above which the plasmoid formation becomes statistically significant enough to affect the turbulent cascade is fairly modest, implying that plasmoids are expected to modify the turbulent path to dissipation in many astrophysical systems« less

Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence in the Plasmoid-mediated Regime

DOE PAGES

Comisso, L.; Huang, Y. -M.; Lingam, M.; ...

2018-02-16

Magnetohydrodynamic turbulence and magnetic reconnection are ubiquitous in astrophysical environments. In most situations these processes do not occur in isolation but interact with each other. This renders a comprehensive theory of these processes highly challenging. Here we propose a theory of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence driven at a large scale that self-consistently accounts for the mutual interplay with magnetic reconnection occurring at smaller scales. Magnetic reconnection produces plasmoids (flux ropes) that grow from turbulence-generated noise and eventually disrupt the sheet-like structures in which they are born. The disruption of these structures leads to a modification of the turbulent energy cascade, which inmore » turn exerts a feedback effect on the plasmoid formation via the turbulence-generated noise. The energy spectrum in this plasmoid-mediated range steepens relative to the standard inertial range and does not follow a simple power law. As a result of the complex interplay between turbulence and reconnection, we also find that the length scale that marks the beginning of the plasmoid-mediated range and the dissipation length scale do not obey true power laws. The transitional magnetic Reynolds number above which the plasmoid formation becomes statistically significant enough to affect the turbulent cascade is fairly modest, implying that plasmoids are expected to modify the turbulent path to dissipation in many astrophysical systems« less

Structure of wind-shear turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Trevino, G.; Laituri, T. R.

1988-01-01

The statistical characteristics of wind-shear turbulence are modelled. Isotropic turbulence serves as the basis of comparison for the anisotropic turbulence which exists in wind shear. The question of how turbulence scales in a wind shear is addressed from the perspective of power spectral density.

Mach Number effects on turbulent superstructures in wall bounded flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaehler, Christian J.; Bross, Matthew; Scharnowski, Sven

2017-11-01

Planer and three-dimensional flow field measurements along a flat plat boundary layer in the Trisonic Wind Tunnel Munich (TWM) are examined with the aim to characterize the scaling, spatial organization, and topology of large scale turbulent superstructures in compressible flow. This facility is ideal for this investigation as the ratio of boundary layer thickness to test section spanwise extent ratio is around 1/25, ensuring minimal sidewall and corner effects on turbulent structures in the center of the test section. A major difficulty in the experimental investigation of large scale features is the mutual size of the superstructures which can extend over many boundary layer thicknesses. Using multiple PIV systems, it was possible to capture the full spatial extent of large-scale structures over a range of Mach numbers from Ma = 0.3 - 3. To calculate the average large-scale structure length and spacing, the acquired vector fields were analyzed by statistical multi-point methods that show large scale structures with a correlation length of around 10 boundary layer thicknesses over the range of Mach numbers investigated. Furthermore, the average spacing between high and low momentum structures is on the order of a boundary layer thicknesses. This work is supported by the Priority Programme SPP 1881 Turbulent Superstructures of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

Diagnosis of Magnetic Structures and Intermittency in Space Plasma Turbulence using the Method of Surrogate Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sahraoui, Fouad; Goldstein, Melvyn

2008-01-01

Several observations in space plasmas have reported the presence of coherent structures at different plasma scales. Structure formation is believed to be a direct consequence of nonlinear interactions between the plasma modes, which depend strongly on phase synchronization of those modes. Despite this important role of the phases in turbulence, very limited work has been however devoted to study the phases as a potential tracers of nonlinearities in comparison with the wealth of literature on power spectra of turbulence where phases are totally missed. We present a method based on surrogate data to systematically detect coherent structures in turbulent signals. The new method has been applied successfully to magnetosheath turbulence (Sahraoui, Phys. Rev. E, 2008, in press), where the relationship between the identified phase coherence and intermittency (classically identified as non Gaussian tails of the PDFs) as well as the energy cascade has been studied. Here we review the main results obtained in that study and show further applications to small scale solar wind turbulence. Implications of the results on theoretical modelling of space turbulence (applicability of weak/wave turbulence, its validity limits and its connection to intermittency) will be discussed.

Dynamic balance in turbulent reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yokoi, N.; Higashimori, K.; Hoshino, M.

2012-12-01

Dynamic balance between the enhancement and suppression of transports due to turbulence in magnetic reconnection is discussed analytically and numerically by considering the interaction of the large-scale field structures with the small-scale turbulence in a consistent manner. Turbulence is expected to play an important role in bridging small and large scales related to magnetic reconnection. The configurations of the mean-field structure are determined by turbulence through the effective transport. At the same time, statistical properties of turbulence are determined by the mean-field structure through the production mechanisms of turbulence. This suggests that turbulence and mean fields should be considered simultaneously in a self-consistent manner. Following the theoretical prediction on the interaction between the mean-fields and turbulence in magnetic reconnection presented by Yokoi and Hoshino (2011), a self-consistent model for the turbulent reconnection is constructed. In the model, the mean-field equations for compressible magnetohydrodynamics are treated with the turbulence effects incorporated through the turbulence correlation such as the Reynolds stress and turbulent electromotive force. Transport coefficients appearing in the expression for these correlations are not adjustable parameters but are determined through the transport equations of the turbulent statistical quantities such as the turbulent MHD energy, the turbulent cross helicity. One of the prominent features of this reconnection model lies in the point that turbulence is not implemented as a prescribed one, but the generation and sustainment of turbulence through the mean-field inhomogeneities are treated. The theoretical predictions are confirmed by the numerical simulation of the model equations. These predictions include the quadrupole cross helicity distribution around the reconnection region, enhancement of reconnection rate due to turbulence, localization of the reconnection region through the cross-helicity effect, etc. Some implications to the satellite observation of the magnetic reconnection will be also given. Reference: Yokoi, N. and Hoshino, M. (2011) Physics of Plasmas, 18, 111208.

Analysis of small scale turbulent structures and the effect of spatial scales on gas transfer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schnieders, Jana; Garbe, Christoph

2014-05-01

The exchange of gases through the air-sea interface strongly depends on environmental conditions such as wind stress and waves which in turn generate near surface turbulence. Near surface turbulence is a main driver of surface divergence which has been shown to cause highly variable transfer rates on relatively small spatial scales. Due to the cool skin of the ocean, heat can be used as a tracer to detect areas of surface convergence and thus gather information about size and intensity of a turbulent process. We use infrared imagery to visualize near surface aqueous turbulence and determine the impact of turbulent scales on exchange rates. Through the high temporal and spatial resolution of these types of measurements spatial scales as well as surface dynamics can be captured. The surface heat pattern is formed by distinct structures on two scales - small-scale short lived structures termed fish scales and larger scale cold streaks that are consistent with the footprints of Langmuir Circulations. There are two key characteristics of the observed surface heat patterns: 1. The surface heat patterns show characteristic features of scales. 2. The structure of these patterns change with increasing wind stress and surface conditions. In [2] turbulent cell sizes have been shown to systematically decrease with increasing wind speed until a saturation at u* = 0.7 cm/s is reached. Results suggest a saturation in the tangential stress. Similar behaviour has been observed by [1] for gas transfer measurements at higher wind speeds. In this contribution a new model to estimate the heat flux is applied which is based on the measured turbulent cell size und surface velocities. This approach allows the direct comparison of the net effect on heat flux of eddies of different sizes and a comparison to gas transfer measurements. Linking transport models with thermographic measurements, transfer velocities can be computed. In this contribution, we will quantify the effect of small scale processes on interfacial transport and relate it to gas transfer. References [1] T. G. Bell, W. De Bruyn, S. D. Miller, B. Ward, K. Christensen, and E. S. Saltzman. Air-sea dimethylsulfide (DMS) gas transfer in the North Atlantic: evidence for limited interfacial gas exchange at high wind speed. Atmos. Chem. Phys. , 13:11073-11087, 2013. [2] J Schnieders, C. S. Garbe, W.L. Peirson, and C. J. Zappa. Analyzing the footprints of near surface aqueous turbulence - an image processing based approach. Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans, 2013.

Three-dimensional structure of dominant instabilities in turbulent flow over smooth and rough boundaries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grass, A. J.; Stuart, R. J.; Mansour-Tehrani, M.

1991-01-01

The current status of knowledge regarding coherent vortical structures in turbulent boundary layers and their role in turbulence generation are reviewed. The investigations reported in the study concentrate attention on rough-wall flows prevailing in the geophysical environment and include an experiment determining the three-dimensional form of the turbulence structures linked to the ejection and inrush events observed over rough walls and an experiment concerned with measuring the actual spanwise scale of the near-wall structures for boundary conditions ranging from hydrodynamically smooth to fully rough. It is demonstrated that horseshoe vortical structures are present and play an important role in rough-wall flows and they increase in scale with increasing wall distance, while a dominant spanwise wavelength occurs in the instantaneous cross-flow distribution of streamwise velocity close to the rough wall.

Synchronization of two coupled turbulent fires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takagi, Kazushi; Gotoda, Hiroshi; Miyano, Takaya; Murayama, Shogo; Tokuda, Isao T.

2018-04-01

We numerically study the scale-free nature of a buoyancy-induced turbulent fire and synchronization of two coupled turbulent fires. A scale-free structure is detected in weighted networks between vortices, while its lifetime obeys a clear power law, indicating intermittent appearances, disappearances, and reappearances of the scale-free property. A significant decrease in the distance between the two fire sources gives rise to a synchronized state in the near field dominated by the unstable motion of large-scale of transverse vortex rings. The synchronized state vanishes in the far field forming well-developed turbulent plumes, regardless of the distance between the two fire sources.

Wave models for turbulent free shear flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liou, W. W.; Morris, P. J.

1991-01-01

New predictive closure models for turbulent free shear flows are presented. They are based on an instability wave description of the dominant large scale structures in these flows using a quasi-linear theory. Three model were developed to study the structural dynamics of turbulent motions of different scales in free shear flows. The local characteristics of the large scale motions are described using linear theory. Their amplitude is determined from an energy integral analysis. The models were applied to the study of an incompressible free mixing layer. In all cases, predictions are made for the development of the mean flow field. In the last model, predictions of the time dependent motion of the large scale structure of the mixing region are made. The predictions show good agreement with experimental observations.

Intermittency, coherent structures and dissipation in plasma turbulence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wan, M.; Matthaeus, W. H.; Parashar, T. N.

Collisionless dissipation in turbulent plasmas such as the solar wind and the solar corona has been an intensively studied subject recently, with new insights often emerging from numerical simulation. Here we report results from high resolution, fully kinetic simulations of plasma turbulence in both two (2D) and three (3D) dimensions, studying the relationship between intermittency and dissipation. The simulations show development of turbulent coherent structures, characterized by sheet-like current density structures spanning a range of scales. An approximate dissipation measure is employed, based on work done by the electromagnetic field in the local electron fluid frame. This surrogate dissipation measuremore » is highly concentrated in small subvolumes in both 2D and 3D simulations. Fully kinetic simulations are also compared with magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) simulations in terms of coherent structures and dissipation. The interesting result emerges that the conditional averages of dissipation measure scale very similarly with normalized current density J in 2D and 3D particle-in-cell and in MHD. To the extent that the surrogate dissipation measure is accurate, this result implies that on average dissipation scales as ∼J{sup 2} in turbulent kinetic plasma. Multifractal intermittency is seen in the inertial range in both 2D and 3D, but at scales ∼ion inertial length, the scaling is closer to monofractal.« less

Towards uncovering the structure of power fluctuations of wind farms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Huiwen; Jin, Yaqing; Tobin, Nicolas; Chamorro, Leonardo P.

2017-12-01

The structure of the turbulence-driven power fluctuations in a wind farm is fundamentally described from basic concepts. A derived tuning-free model, supported with experiments, reveals the underlying spectral content of the power fluctuations of a wind farm. It contains two power-law trends and oscillations in the relatively low- and high-frequency ranges. The former is mostly due to the turbulent interaction between the flow and the turbine properties, whereas the latter is due to the advection between turbine pairs. The spectral wind-farm scale power fluctuations ΦP exhibit a power-law decay proportional to f-5 /3 -2 in the region corresponding to the turbulence inertial subrange and at relatively large scales, ΦP˜f-2 . Due to the advection and turbulent diffusion of large-scale structures, a spectral oscillation exists with the product of a sinusoidal behavior and an exponential decay in the frequency domain.

Towards uncovering the structure of power fluctuations of wind farms.

PubMed

Liu, Huiwen; Jin, Yaqing; Tobin, Nicolas; Chamorro, Leonardo P

2017-12-01

The structure of the turbulence-driven power fluctuations in a wind farm is fundamentally described from basic concepts. A derived tuning-free model, supported with experiments, reveals the underlying spectral content of the power fluctuations of a wind farm. It contains two power-law trends and oscillations in the relatively low- and high-frequency ranges. The former is mostly due to the turbulent interaction between the flow and the turbine properties, whereas the latter is due to the advection between turbine pairs. The spectral wind-farm scale power fluctuations Φ_{P} exhibit a power-law decay proportional to f^{-5/3-2} in the region corresponding to the turbulence inertial subrange and at relatively large scales, Φ_{P}∼f^{-2}. Due to the advection and turbulent diffusion of large-scale structures, a spectral oscillation exists with the product of a sinusoidal behavior and an exponential decay in the frequency domain.

Self-organization of vortex-length distribution in quantum turbulence: An approach based on the Barabasi-Albert model

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Mitani, Akira; Tsubota, Makoto

2006-07-01

The energy spectrum of decaying quantum turbulence at T=0 obeys Kolmogorov's law. In addition to this, recent studies revealed that the vortex-length distribution (VLD), meaning the size distribution of the vortices, in decaying Kolmogorov quantum turbulence also obeys a power law. This power-law VLD suggests that the decaying turbulence has scale-free structure in real space. Unfortunately, however, there has been no practical study that answers the following important question: why can quantum turbulence acquire a scale-free VLD? We propose here a model to study the origin of the power law of the VLD from a generic point of view. Themore » nature of quantized vortices allows one to describe the decay of quantum turbulence with a simple model that is similar to the Barabasi-Albert model, which explains the scale-invariance structure of large networks. We show here that such a model can reproduce the power law of the VLD well.« less

Effect of double layers on magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lysak, Robert L.; Hudson, Mary K.

1987-01-01

The Earth's auroral zone contains dynamic processes occurring on scales from the length of an auroral zone field line which characterizes Alfven wave propagation to the scale of microscopic processes which occur over a few Debye lengths. These processes interact in a time-dependent fashion since the current carried by the Alfven waves can excite microscopic turbulence which can in turn provide dissipation of the Alfven wave energy. This review will first describe the dynamic aspects of auroral current structures with emphasis on consequences for models of microscopic turbulence. A number of models of microscopic turbulence will be introduced into a large-scale model of Alfven wave propagation to determine the effect of various models on the overall structure of auroral currents. In particular, the effects of a double layer electric field which scales with the plasma temperature and Debye length is compared with the effect of anomalous resistivity due to electrostatic ion cyclotron turbulence in which the electric field scales with the magnetic field strength. It is found that the double layer model is less diffusive than in the resistive model leading to the possibility of narrow, intense current structures.

Turbulent intermittent structure in non-homogeneous non-local flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahjoub, O. B.; Castilla, R.; Vindel, J. M.; Redondo, J. M.

2010-05-01

Data from SABLES98 experimental campaign have been used in order to study the influence of stability (from weak to strong stratification) on intermittency [1]. Standard instrumentation, 14 thermocouples and 3 sonic anemometers at three levels (5.8, 13.5 and 32 m) were available in September 1998 and calculations are done in order to evaluate structure functions and the scale to scale characteristics. Using BDF [2-4] as well as other models of cascades, the spectral equilibrium values were used to calculate fluxes of momentum and heat as well as non-homogeneous models and the turbulent mixing produced. The differences in structure and higher order moments between stable, convective and neutral turbulence were used to identify differences in turbulent intermittent mixing and velocity PDF's. The intermittency of atmospheric turbulence in strongly stable situations affected by buoyancy and internal waves are seen to modify the structure functions exponents and intermittency, depending on the modulus of the Richardson's number,Ri, as well as of the Monin-Obukhov and Ozmidov lengthscales. The topological aspects of the turbulence affected by stratification reduce the vertical length-scales to a maximum described by the Thorpe and the Ozmidov lenth-scales, but intermittency, Kurtosis and other higher order descriptors of the turbulence based on spectral wavelet analysis are also affected in a complex way [5,6]. The relationship between stratification, intermittency, µ(Ri) and the fractal dimension of the stable flows and between the dispersion, the fractal dimension are discussed. The data analyzed is from the campaign SABLES-98 at the north-west Iberian Peninsula plateau.(Cuxart et al. 2000). Conditional statistics of the relationship between µ(Ri) are confirmed as in (Vindel et al 2008)[4] and compared with laboratory experiments and with 2D-3D aspects of the turbulence cascade. The use of BDF [3] model comparing the corresponding relative scaling exponents which are estimated from two characteristic parameters(D,b). For unstable or neutral situations, it is possible to find values for these parameters that represent the empirical scaling exponents D and b obtained from [1]. When D increases, the order smaller than 3 relative scaling exponents also increases (but for orders higher than 3, they decrease) linearly. On the contrary, for a certain value of D, when b increases the behavior of the relative scaling exponents is the opposite and non-linear. [1]Ben-Mahjoub O., Babiano A. y Redondo J.M. Velocity structure and Extended Self Similarity in nonhomogeneous Turbulent Jets and Wakes. Journal of flow turbulence and combustion. 59 , 299-313. 1998. [2]Ben-Mahjoub O., Redondo J.M., and R. Alami. Turbulent Structure Functions in Geophysical Flows, Rapp. Comm. int. Mer Medit., 35, 126-127. 1998 [3]Babiano, A., Dubrulle, B., Frick, P. Some properties of two-dimensional inverse energy cascade dynamics, Phys. Rev. E. 55, 2693, 1997. [4]Vindel J.M., Yague C. and J.M. Redondo, Structure function analysis and intermittency in the ABL, NonLin. Proc. Geophys. 15, 6. 915-929. 2009. [5]Cuxart, J., Yagüe, C., Morales, G., Terradellas, E., Orbe, J., Calvo, J., Fernández, A., Soler, M. R., Infante, C., Buenestado, P., Espinalt, A., Joergensen, H. E., Rees, J. M., Vila, J., Redondo, J. M., Cantalapiedra, I. R., Conangla L., Bound-Layer Meteor. 96, 337-370 2000. [6]Rodríguez, A., Sánchez-Arcilla, A., Redondo, J. M., Mosso, C.: Macroturbulence measurements with electromagnetic and ultrasonic sensors: a comparison under high-turbulent flows, Experiments in Fluids, 27, 31-42. 1999.

TURBULENCE-GENERATED PROTON-SCALE STRUCTURES IN THE TERRESTRIAL MAGNETOSHEATH

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vörös, Zoltán; Narita, Yasuhito; Yordanova, Emiliya

2016-03-01

Recent results of numerical magnetohydrodynamic simulations suggest that in collisionless space plasmas, turbulence can spontaneously generate thin current sheets. These coherent structures can partially explain the intermittency and the non-homogenous distribution of localized plasma heating in turbulence. In this Letter, Cluster multi-point observations are used to investigate the distribution of magnetic field discontinuities and the associated small-scale current sheets in the terrestrial magnetosheath downstream of a quasi-parallel bow shock. It is shown experimentally, for the first time, that the strongest turbulence-generated current sheets occupy the long tails of probability distribution functions associated with extremal values of magnetic field partial derivatives.more » During the analyzed one-hour time interval, about a hundred strong discontinuities, possibly proton-scale current sheets, were observed.« less

Multi-scale structures of turbulent magnetic reconnection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nakamura, T. K. M., E-mail: takuma.nakamura@oeaw.ac.at; Nakamura, R.; Narita, Y.

2016-05-15

We have analyzed data from a series of 3D fully kinetic simulations of turbulent magnetic reconnection with a guide field. A new concept of the guide filed reconnection process has recently been proposed, in which the secondary tearing instability and the resulting formation of oblique, small scale flux ropes largely disturb the structure of the primary reconnection layer and lead to 3D turbulent features [W. Daughton et al., Nat. Phys. 7, 539 (2011)]. In this paper, we further investigate the multi-scale physics in this turbulent, guide field reconnection process by introducing a wave number band-pass filter (k-BPF) technique in whichmore » modes for the small scale (less than ion scale) fluctuations and the background large scale (more than ion scale) variations are separately reconstructed from the wave number domain to the spatial domain in the inverse Fourier transform process. Combining with the Fourier based analyses in the wave number domain, we successfully identify spatial and temporal development of the multi-scale structures in the turbulent reconnection process. When considering a strong guide field, the small scale tearing mode and the resulting flux ropes develop over a specific range of oblique angles mainly along the edge of the primary ion scale flux ropes and reconnection separatrix. The rapid merging of these small scale modes leads to a smooth energy spectrum connecting ion and electron scales. When the guide field is sufficiently weak, the background current sheet is strongly kinked and oblique angles for the small scale modes are widely scattered at the kinked regions. Similar approaches handling both the wave number and spatial domains will be applicable to the data from multipoint, high-resolution spacecraft observations such as the NASA magnetospheric multiscale (MMS) mission.« less

Multi-scale structures of turbulent magnetic reconnection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, T. K. M.; Nakamura, R.; Narita, Y.; Baumjohann, W.; Daughton, W.

2016-05-01

We have analyzed data from a series of 3D fully kinetic simulations of turbulent magnetic reconnection with a guide field. A new concept of the guide filed reconnection process has recently been proposed, in which the secondary tearing instability and the resulting formation of oblique, small scale flux ropes largely disturb the structure of the primary reconnection layer and lead to 3D turbulent features [W. Daughton et al., Nat. Phys. 7, 539 (2011)]. In this paper, we further investigate the multi-scale physics in this turbulent, guide field reconnection process by introducing a wave number band-pass filter (k-BPF) technique in which modes for the small scale (less than ion scale) fluctuations and the background large scale (more than ion scale) variations are separately reconstructed from the wave number domain to the spatial domain in the inverse Fourier transform process. Combining with the Fourier based analyses in the wave number domain, we successfully identify spatial and temporal development of the multi-scale structures in the turbulent reconnection process. When considering a strong guide field, the small scale tearing mode and the resulting flux ropes develop over a specific range of oblique angles mainly along the edge of the primary ion scale flux ropes and reconnection separatrix. The rapid merging of these small scale modes leads to a smooth energy spectrum connecting ion and electron scales. When the guide field is sufficiently weak, the background current sheet is strongly kinked and oblique angles for the small scale modes are widely scattered at the kinked regions. Similar approaches handling both the wave number and spatial domains will be applicable to the data from multipoint, high-resolution spacecraft observations such as the NASA magnetospheric multiscale (MMS) mission.

Weakly inhomogeneous MHD turbulence and transport of solar wind fluctuations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matthaeus, W. H.; Zhou, Y.; Oughton, S.; Zank, G. P.

1992-01-01

An evaluation is conducted of recent theories of small-scale MHD turbulence transport in an inhomogeneous background that are pertinent to the evolution of solar wind turbulence. Attention is given to the WKB formalism that has been used in many solar wind-related physics applications, with a view to its shortcomings. Also discussed are the structure of two-scale transport theories, and their relationship to WKB theory in light of multiple-scales analysis.

Wavelet detection of coherent structures in interplanetary magnetic flux ropes and its role in the intermittent turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muñoz, P. R.; Chian, A. C.

2013-12-01

We implement a method to detect coherent magnetic structures using the Haar discrete wavelet transform (Salem et al., ApJ 702, 537, 2009), and apply it to an event detected by Cluster at the turbulent boundary layer of an interplanetary magnetic flux rope. The wavelet method is able to detect magnetic coherent structures and extract main features of solar wind intermittent turbulence, such as the power spectral density and the scaling exponent of structure functions. Chian and Muñoz (ApJL 733, L34, 2011) investigated the relation between current sheets, turbulence, and magnetic reconnections at the leading edge of an interplanetary coronal mass ejection measured by Cluster upstream of the Earth's bow shock on 2005 January 21. We found observational evidence of two magnetically reconnected current sheets in the vicinity of a front magnetic cloud boundary layer, where the scaling exponent of structure functions of magnetic fluctuations exhibits multifractal behavior. Using the wavelet technique, we show that the current sheets associated to magnetic reconnection are part of the set of magnetic coherent structures responsible for multifractality. By removing them using a filtering criteria, it is possible to recover a self-similar scaling exponent predicted for homogeneous turbulence. Finally, we discuss an extension of the wavelet technique to study coherent structures in two-dimensional solar magnetograms.

Turbulent Compressible Convection with Rotation. Part 1; Flow Structure and Evolution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brummell, Nicholas H.; Hurlburt, Neal E.; Toomre, Juri

1996-01-01

The effects of Coriolis forces on compressible convection are studied using three-dimensional numerical simulations carried out within a local modified f-plane model. The physics is simplified by considering a perfect gas occupying a rectilinear domain placed tangentially to a rotating sphere at various latitudes, through which a destabilizing heat flux is driven. The resulting convection is considered for a range of Rayleigh, Taylor, and Prandtl (and thus Rossby) numbers, evaluating conditions where the influence of rotation is both weak and strong. Given the computational demands of these high-resolution simulations, the parameter space is explored sparsely to ascertain the differences between laminar and turbulent rotating convection. The first paper in this series examines the effects of rotation on the flow structure within the convection, its evolution, and some consequences for mixing. Subsequent papers consider the large-scale mean shear flows that are generated by the convection, and the effects of rotation on the convective energetics and transport properties. It is found here that the structure of rotating turbulent convection is similar to earlier nonrotating studies, with a laminar, cellular surface network disguising a fully turbulent interior punctuated by vertically coherent structures. However, the temporal signature of the surface flows is modified by inertial motions to yield new cellular evolution patterns and an overall increase in the mobility of the network. The turbulent convection contains vortex tubes of many scales, including large-scale coherent structures spanning the full vertical extent of the domain involving multiple density scale heights. Remarkably, such structures align with the rotation vector via the influence of Coriolis forces on turbulent motions, in contrast with the zonal tilting of streamlines found in laminar flows. Such novel turbulent mechanisms alter the correlations which drive mean shearing flows and affect the convective transport properties. In contrast to this large-scale anisotropy, small-scale vortex tubes at greater depths are randomly orientated by the rotational mixing of momentum, leading to an increased degree of isotropy on the medium to small scales of motion there. Rotation also influences the thermodynamic mixing properties of the convection. In particular, interaction of the larger coherent vortices causes a loss of correlation between the vertical velocity and the temperature leaving a mean stratification which is not isentropic.

Velocity-vorticity correlation structures (VVCS) in spatially developing compressible turbulent boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Shi-Yao; She, Zhen-Su; Chen, Jun

2017-11-01

A velocity-vorticity correlation structure (VVCS) analysis is applied to the direct numerical simulation (DNS) of compressible turbulent boundary layer (CTBL) at Mach numbers, Ma = 2.25 , 4.50 and 6.0 . It is shown that the VVCS analysis captures the geometry variation in the streamwise direction during the transition and in the wall-normal direction in the fully developed regime. Specifically, before transition, the VVCS captures the instability wave number, while in the transition region it displays a distinct scaling change of the dimensions. The fully developed turbulence regime is characterized by a nearly constant spatial extension of the VVCS. Particularly, after turbulence is well developed, a multi-layer structure in the wall normal direction is observed in the maximum correlation coefficient and in the length scales of the VVCS, as expected from a recent symmetry-based theory, the ensemble structure dynamics (SED). The most interesting outcome is an observed linear dependence of the length scale of the VVCS from y+ 50 to 200, which is a direct support to Townsend's attached-eddy theory. In conclusion, the VVCS analysis quantifies the geometrical characteristics of the coherent structures in turbulent compressible shear flows throughout the whole domain. Supported by NSFC (11172006, 11221062, 11452002) and by MOST (China) 973 project (2009CB724100).

Hierarchy compensation of non-homogeneous intermittent atmospheric turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redondo, Jose M.; Mahjoub, Otman B.; Cantalapiedra, Inma R.

2010-05-01

In this work a study both the internal turbulence energy cascade intermittency evaluated from wind speed series in the atmospheric boundary layer, as well as the role of external or forcing intermittency based on the flatness (Vindel et al 2008)is carried out. The degree of intermittency in the stratified ABL flow (Cuxart et al. 2000) can be studied as the deviation, from the linear form, of the absolute scaling exponents of the structure functions as well as generalizing for non-isotropic and non-homogeneous turbulence, even in non-inertial ranges (in the Kolmogorov-Kraichnan sense) where the scaling exponents are not constant. The degree of intermittency, evaluated in the non-local quasi-inertial range, is explained from the variation with scale of the energy transfer as well as the dissipation. The scale to scale transfer and the structure function scaling exponents are calculated and from these the intermittency parametres. The turbulent diffusivity could also be estimated and compared with Richardson's law. Some two point correlations and time lag calculations are used to investigate the time and spatial integral length scales obtained from both Lagrangian and Eulerian correlations and functions, and we compare these results with both theoretical and laboratory data. We develop a theoretical description of how to measure the different levels of intermittency following (Mahjoub et al. 1998, 2000) and the role of locality in higher order exponents of structure function analysis. Vindel J.M., Yague C. and Redondo J.M. (2008) Structure function analysis and intermittency in the ABL. Nonlin. Processes Geophys., 15, 915-929. Cuxart J, Yague C, Morales G, Terradellas E, Orbe J, Calvo J, Fernández A, Soler M R, Infante C, Buenestado P, Espinalt A, Joergensen H E, Rees J M, Vilá J, Redondo J M, Cantalapiedra R and Conangla L (2000): Stable atmospheric boundary-layer experiment in Spain (Sables 98): a report, Boundary-Layer Meteorology 96, 337-370 Mahjoub O.B., Babiano A. and Redondo J.M. (1998) Structure functions in complex flows. Journal of Flow Turbulence and Combustion. 59, 299-313. Mahjoub O.B., Redondo J.M. and Babiano A. (2000) Self similarity and intermittency in a turbulent non-homogeneous wake. Proceedings of the Eighth European Turbulence Conference. (Eds. Dopazo et al.) CIMNE, Barcelona, 783-786. Mahjoub O.B., Redondo J.M., and R. Alami, (1998) Turbulent Structure Functions in Geophysical Flows, Rapp. Comm. int. Mer Medit., 35, 126-127.

Effects of forcing time scale on the simulated turbulent flows and turbulent collision statistics of inertial particles

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rosa, B., E-mail: bogdan.rosa@imgw.pl; Parishani, H.; Department of Earth System Science, University of California, Irvine, California 92697-3100

2015-01-15

In this paper, we study systematically the effects of forcing time scale in the large-scale stochastic forcing scheme of Eswaran and Pope [“An examination of forcing in direct numerical simulations of turbulence,” Comput. Fluids 16, 257 (1988)] on the simulated flow structures and statistics of forced turbulence. Using direct numerical simulations, we find that the forcing time scale affects the flow dissipation rate and flow Reynolds number. Other flow statistics can be predicted using the altered flow dissipation rate and flow Reynolds number, except when the forcing time scale is made unrealistically large to yield a Taylor microscale flow Reynoldsmore » number of 30 and less. We then study the effects of forcing time scale on the kinematic collision statistics of inertial particles. We show that the radial distribution function and the radial relative velocity may depend on the forcing time scale when it becomes comparable to the eddy turnover time. This dependence, however, can be largely explained in terms of altered flow Reynolds number and the changing range of flow length scales present in the turbulent flow. We argue that removing this dependence is important when studying the Reynolds number dependence of the turbulent collision statistics. The results are also compared to those based on a deterministic forcing scheme to better understand the role of large-scale forcing, relative to that of the small-scale turbulence, on turbulent collision of inertial particles. To further elucidate the correlation between the altered flow structures and dynamics of inertial particles, a conditional analysis has been performed, showing that the regions of higher collision rate of inertial particles are well correlated with the regions of lower vorticity. Regions of higher concentration of pairs at contact are found to be highly correlated with the region of high energy dissipation rate.« less

Contributions to the understanding of large-scale coherent structures in developing free turbulent shear flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liu, J. T. C.

1986-01-01

Advances in the mechanics of boundary layer flow are reported. The physical problems of large scale coherent structures in real, developing free turbulent shear flows, from the nonlinear aspects of hydrodynamic stability are addressed. The presence of fine grained turbulence in the problem, and its absence, lacks a small parameter. The problem is presented on the basis of conservation principles, which are the dynamics of the problem directed towards extracting the most physical information, however, it is emphasized that it must also involve approximations.

On the statistics of increments in strong Alfvenic turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palacios, J. C.; Perez, J. C.

2017-12-01

In-situ measurements have shown that the solar wind is dominated by non-compressive Alfvén-like fluctuations of plasma velocity and magnetic field over a broad range of scales. In this work, we present recent progress in understanding intermittency in Alfvenic turbulence by investigating the statistics of Elsasser increments from simulations of steadily driven Reduced MHD with numerical resolutions up to 2048^3. The nature of these statistics guards a close relation to the fundamental properties of small-scale structures in which the turbulence is ultimately dissipated and therefore has profound implications in the possible contribution of turbulence to the heating of the solar wind. We extensively investigate the properties and three-dimensional structure of probability density functions (PDFs) of increments and compare with recent phenomenological models of intermittency in MHD turbulence.

Effects of extensional rates on characteristic scales of two-dimensional turbulence in polymer solutions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hidema, R.

2014-08-01

In order to study the effects of extensional viscosities on turbulent drag reduction, experimental studies using two-dimensional turbulence have been made. Anisotropic structures and variations of energy transfer induced by polymers are considered. Polyethyleneoxide and hydroxypropyl cellulose having different flexibility, which is due to different characteristics of extensional viscosity, are added to 2D turbulence. Variations of the turbulence were visualized by interference patterns of 2D flow, and were analysed by an image processing. The effects of polymers on turbulence in the streamwise and normal directions were also analysed by 2D Fourier transform. In addition, characteristic scales in 2D turbulence were analysed by wavelet transform.

The cosmic web and microwave background fossilize the first turbulent combustion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, Carl H.; Keeler, R. Norris

2016-10-01

Collisional fluid mechanics theory predicts a turbulent hot big bang at Planck conditions from large, negative, turbulence stresses below the Fortov-Kerr limit (< -10113 Pa). Big bang turbulence fossilized when quarks formed, extracting the mass energy of the universe by extreme negative viscous stresses of inflation, expanding to length scales larger than the horizon scale ct. Viscous-gravitational structure formation by fragmentation was triggered at big bang fossil vorticity turbulence vortex lines during the plasma epoch, as observed by the Planck space telescope. A cosmic web of protogalaxies, protogalaxyclusters, and protogalaxysuperclusters that formed in turbulent boundary layers of the spinning voids are hereby identified as expanding turbulence fossils that falsify CDMHC cosmology.

Turbulence study in the vicinity of piano key weir: relevance, instrumentation, parameters and methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tiwari, Harinarayan; Sharma, Nayan

2017-05-01

This research paper focuses on the need of turbulence, instruments reliable to capture turbulence, different turbulence parameters and some advance methodology which can decompose various turbulence structures at different levels near hydraulic structures. Small-scale turbulence research has valid prospects in open channel flow. The relevance of the study is amplified as we introduce any hydraulic structure in the channel which disturbs the natural flow and creates discontinuity. To recover this discontinuity, the piano key weir (PKW) might be used with sloped keys. Constraints of empirical results in the vicinity of PKW necessitate extensive laboratory experiments with fair and reliable instrumentation techniques. Acoustic Doppler velocimeter was established to be best suited within range of some limitations using principal component analysis. Wavelet analysis is proposed to decompose the underlying turbulence structure in a better way.

Modeling near-wall turbulent flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marusic, Ivan; Mathis, Romain; Hutchins, Nicholas

2010-11-01

The near-wall region of turbulent boundary layers is a crucial region for turbulence production, but it is also a region that becomes increasing difficult to access and make measurements in as the Reynolds number becomes very high. Consequently, it is desirable to model the turbulence in this region. Recent studies have shown that the classical description, with inner (wall) scaling alone, is insufficient to explain the behaviour of the streamwise turbulence intensities with increasing Reynolds number. Here we will review our recent near-wall model (Marusic et al., Science 329, 2010), where the near-wall turbulence is predicted given information from only the large-scale signature at a single measurement point in the logarithmic layer, considerably far from the wall. The model is consistent with the Townsend attached eddy hypothesis in that the large-scale structures associated with the log-region are felt all the way down to the wall, but also includes a non-linear amplitude modulation effect of the large structures on the near-wall turbulence. Detailed predicted spectra across the entire near- wall region will be presented, together with other higher order statistics over a large range of Reynolds numbers varying from laboratory to atmospheric flows.

Coherent nonlinear coupling between a long-wavelength mode and small-scale turbulence in the TEXT tokamak

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Tsui, H.Y.W.; Rypdal, K.; Ritz, C.P.

1993-04-26

Bispectral analysis of Langmuir probe data indicates that coherent nonlinear coupling, in addition to the noncoherent turbulent interactions, exists in the edge plasma of the tokamak TEXT. Not all the modes involved reside within the spectral region of the usual broadband turbulence. At a major resonant surface the small-scale turbulent activity interacts [ital coherently] with a localized long-wavelength mode; a signature of regular or coherent structure. By the observed coupling to the transport related turbulence, the long-wavelength mode can influence plasma confinement indirectly. These observations signify the influence of low-order resonant surfaces on the edge turbulence in tokamaks.

Wave-induced coherent turbulence structures and sediment resuspension in the nearshore of a prototype-scale sandy barrier beach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kassem, Hachem; Thompson, Charlotte E. L.; Amos, Carl L.; Townend, Ian H.

2015-10-01

The suspension of sediments by oscillatory flows is a complex case of fluid-particle interaction. The aim of this study is to provide insight into the spatial (time) and scale (frequency) relationships between wave-generated boundary layer turbulence and event-driven sediment transport beneath irregular shoaling and breaking waves in the nearshore of a prototype sandy barrier beach, using data collected through the Barrier Dynamics Experiment II (BARDEX II). Statistical, quadrant and spectral analyses reveal the anisotropic and intermittent nature of Reynolds' stresses (momentum exchange) in the wave boundary layer, in all three orthogonal planes of motion. The fractional contribution of coherent turbulence structures appears to be dictated by the structural form of eddies beneath plunging and spilling breakers, which in turn define the net sediment mobilisation towards or away from the barrier, and hence ensuing erosion and accretion trends. A standing transverse wave is also observed in the flume, contributing to the substantial skewness of spanwise turbulence. Observed low frequency suspensions are closely linked to the mean flow (wave) properties. Wavelet analysis reveals that the entrainment and maintenance of sediment in suspension through a cluster of bursting sequence is associated with the passage of intermittent slowly-evolving large structures, which can modulate the frequency of smaller motions. Outside the boundary layer, small scale, higher frequency turbulence drives the suspension. The extent to which these spatially varied perturbation clusters persist is associated with suspension events in the high frequency scales, decaying as the turbulent motion ceases to supply momentum, with an observed hysteresis effect.

The deterministic chaos and random noise in turbulent jet

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yao, Tian-Liang; Shanghai Institute of Space Propulsion, Shanghai 201112; Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Space Engine, Shanghai Institute of Space Propulsion, Shanghai 201112

2014-06-01

A turbulent flow is usually treated as a superposition of coherent structure and incoherent turbulence. In this paper, the largest Lyapunov exponent and the random noise in the near field of round jet and plane jet are estimated with our previously proposed method of chaotic time series analysis [T. L. Yao, et al., Chaos 22, 033102 (2012)]. The results show that the largest Lyapunov exponents of the round jet and plane jet are in direct proportion to the reciprocal of the integral time scale of turbulence, which is in accordance with the results of the dimensional analysis, and the proportionalitymore » coefficients are equal. In addition, the random noise of the round jet and plane jet has the same linear relation with the Kolmogorov velocity scale of turbulence. As a result, the random noise may well be from the incoherent disturbance in turbulence, and the coherent structure in turbulence may well follow the rule of chaotic motion.« less

Hierarchical structure of stock price fluctuations in financial markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Ya-Chun; Cai, Shi-Min; Wang, Bing-Hong

2012-12-01

The financial market and turbulence have been broadly compared on account of the same quantitative methods and several common stylized facts they share. In this paper, the She-Leveque (SL) hierarchy, proposed to explain the anomalous scaling exponents deviating from Kolmogorov monofractal scaling of the velocity fluctuation in fluid turbulence, is applied to study and quantify the hierarchical structure of stock price fluctuations in financial markets. We therefore observed certain interesting results: (i) the hierarchical structure related to multifractal scaling generally presents in all the stock price fluctuations we investigated. (ii) The quantitatively statistical parameters that describe SL hierarchy are different between developed financial markets and emerging ones, distinctively. (iii) For the high-frequency stock price fluctuation, the hierarchical structure varies with different time periods. All these results provide a novel analogy in turbulence and financial market dynamics and an insight to deeply understand multifractality in financial markets.

Sand waves in environmental flows: Insights gained by coupling large-eddy simulation with morphodynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sotiropoulos, Fotis; Khosronejad, Ali

2016-02-01

Sand waves arise in subaqueous and Aeolian environments as the result of the complex interaction between turbulent flows and mobile sand beds. They occur across a wide range of spatial scales, evolve at temporal scales much slower than the integral scale of the transporting turbulent flow, dominate river morphodynamics, undermine streambank stability and infrastructure during flooding, and sculpt terrestrial and extraterrestrial landscapes. In this paper, we present the vision for our work over the last ten years, which has sought to develop computational tools capable of simulating the coupled interactions of sand waves with turbulence across the broad range of relevant scales: from small-scale ripples in laboratory flumes to mega-dunes in large rivers. We review the computational advances that have enabled us to simulate the genesis and long-term evolution of arbitrarily large and complex sand dunes in turbulent flows using large-eddy simulation and summarize numerous novel physical insights derived from our simulations. Our findings explain the role of turbulent sweeps in the near-bed region as the primary mechanism for destabilizing the sand bed, show that the seeds of the emergent structure in dune fields lie in the heterogeneity of the turbulence and bed shear stress fluctuations over the initially flatbed, and elucidate how large dunes at equilibrium give rise to energetic coherent structures and modify the spectra of turbulence. We also discuss future challenges and our vision for advancing a data-driven simulation-based engineering science approach for site-specific simulations of river flooding.

The Numerical Analysis of a Turbulent Compressible Jet. Degree awarded by Ohio State Univ., 2000

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DeBonis, James R.

2001-01-01

A numerical method to simulate high Reynolds number jet flows was formulated and applied to gain a better understanding of the flow physics. Large-eddy simulation was chosen as the most promising approach to model the turbulent structures due to its compromise between accuracy and computational expense. The filtered Navier-Stokes equations were developed including a total energy form of the energy equation. Subgrid scale models for the momentum and energy equations were adapted from compressible forms of Smagorinsky's original model. The effect of using disparate temporal and spatial accuracy in a numerical scheme was discovered through one-dimensional model problems and a new uniformly fourth-order accurate numerical method was developed. Results from two- and three-dimensional validation exercises show that the code accurately reproduces both viscous and inviscid flows. Numerous axisymmetric jet simulations were performed to investigate the effect of grid resolution, numerical scheme, exit boundary conditions and subgrid scale modeling on the solution and the results were used to guide the three-dimensional calculations. Three-dimensional calculations of a Mach 1.4 jet showed that this LES simulation accurately captures the physics of the turbulent flow. The agreement with experimental data was relatively good and is much better than results in the current literature. Turbulent intensities indicate that the turbulent structures at this level of modeling are not isotropic and this information could lend itself to the development of improved subgrid scale models for LES and turbulence models for RANS simulations. A two point correlation technique was used to quantify the turbulent structures. Two point space correlations were used to obtain a measure of the integral length scale, which proved to be approximately 1/2 D(sub j). Two point space-time correlations were used to obtain the convection velocity for the turbulent structures. This velocity ranged from 0.57 to 0.71 U(sub j).

MAPPING THE GAS TURBULENCE IN THE COMA CLUSTER: PREDICTIONS FOR ASTRO-H

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

ZuHone, J. A.; Markevitch, M.; Zhuravleva, I.

2016-02-01

Astro-H will be able for the first time to map gas velocities and detect turbulence in galaxy clusters. One of the best targets for turbulence studies is the Coma cluster, due to its proximity, absence of a cool core, and lack of a central active galactic nucleus. To determine what constraints Astro-H will be able to place on the Coma velocity field, we construct simulated maps of the projected gas velocity and compute the second-order structure function, an analog of the velocity power spectrum. We vary the injection scale, dissipation scale, slope, and normalization of the turbulent power spectrum, andmore » apply measurement errors and finite sampling to the velocity field. We find that even with sparse coverage of the cluster, Astro-H will be able to measure the Mach number and the injection scale of the turbulent power spectrum—the quantities determining the energy flux down the turbulent cascade and the diffusion rate for everything that is advected by the gas (metals, cosmic rays, etc.). Astro-H will not be sensitive to the dissipation scale or the slope of the power spectrum in its inertial range, unless they are outside physically motivated intervals. We give the expected confidence intervals for the injection scale and the normalization of the power spectrum for a number of possible pointing configurations, combining the structure function and velocity dispersion data. Importantly, we also determine that measurement errors on the line shift will bias the velocity structure function upward, and show how to correct this bias.« less

Mapping the Gas Turbulence in the Coma Cluster: Predictions for Astro-H

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

ZuHone, J. A.; Markevitch, M.; Zhuravleva, I.

2016-01-01

Astro-H will be able for the first time to map gas velocities and detect turbulence in galaxy clusters. One of the best targets for turbulence studies is the Coma cluster, due to its proximity, absence of a cool core, and lack of a central active galactic nucleus. To determine what constraints Astro-H will be able to place on the Coma velocity field, we construct simulated maps of the projected gas velocity and compute the second-order structure function, an analog of the velocity power spectrum. We vary the injection scale, dissipation scale, slope, and normalization of the turbulent power spectrum, and apply measurement errors and finite sampling to the velocity field. We find that even with sparse coverage of the cluster, Astro-H will be able to measure the Mach number and the injection scale of the turbulent power spectrum-the quantities determining the energy flux down the turbulent cascade and the diffusion rate for everything that is advected by the gas (metals, cosmic rays, etc.). Astro-H will not be sensitive to the dissipation scale or the slope of the power spectrum in its inertial range, unless they are outside physically motivated intervals. We give the expected confidence intervals for the injection scale and the normalization of the power spectrum for a number of possible pointing configurations, combining the structure function and velocity dispersion data. Importantly, we also determine that measurement errors on the line shift will bias the velocity structure function upward, and show how to correct this bias.

Effects of a finite outer scale on the measurement of atmospheric-turbulence statistics with a Hartmann wave-front sensor.

PubMed

Feng, Shen; Wenhan, Jiang

2002-06-10

Phase-structure and aperture-averaged slope-correlated functions with a finite outer scale are derived based on the Taylor hypothesis and a generalized spectrum, such as the von Kármán modal. The effects of the finite outer scale on measuring and determining the character of atmospheric-turbulence statistics are shown especially for an approximately 4-m class telescope and subaperture. The phase structure function and atmospheric coherent length based on the Kolmogorov model are approximations of the formalism we have derived. The analysis shows that it cannot be determined whether the deviation from the power-law parameter of Kolmogorov turbulence is caused by real variations of the spectrum or by the effect of the finite outer scale.

On the saturation of the refractive index structure function. II - Influence of the correlation length on astronomical 'seeing'

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Venkatakrishnan, P.

1987-01-01

A physical length scale in the wavefront corresponding to the parameter (r sub 0) characterizing the loss in detail in a long exposure image is identified, and the influence of the correlation scale of turbulence as r sub 0 approaches this scale is shown. Allowing for the effect of 2-point correlations in the fluctuations of the refractive index, Venkatakrishnan and Chatterjee (1987) proposed a modified law for the phase structure function. It is suggested that the departure of the phase structure function from the 5/3 power law for length scales in the wavefront approaching the correlation scale of turbulence may lead to better 'seeing' at longer wavelengths.

Large-scale structures in turbulent Couette flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Jung Hoon; Lee, Jae Hwa

2016-11-01

Direct numerical simulation of fully developed turbulent Couette flow is performed with a large computational domain in the streamwise and spanwise directions (40 πh and 6 πh) to investigate streamwise-scale growth mechanism of the streamwise velocity fluctuating structures in the core region, where h is the channel half height. It is shown that long streamwise-scale structures (> 3 h) are highly energetic and they contribute to more than 80% of the turbulent kinetic energy and Reynolds shear stress, compared to previous studies in canonical Poiseuille flows. Instantaneous and statistical analysis show that negative-u' structures on the bottom wall in the Couette flow continuously grow in the streamwise direction due to mean shear, and they penetrate to the opposite moving wall. The geometric center of the log layer is observed in the centerline with a dominant outer peak in streamwise spectrum, and the maximum streamwise extent for structure is found in the centerline, similar to previous observation in turbulent Poiseuille flows at high Reynolds number. Further inspection of time-evolving instantaneous fields clearly exhibits that adjacent long structures combine to form a longer structure in the centerline. This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2014R1A1A2057031).

Aqueous turbulence structure immediately adjacent to the air - water interface and interfacial gas exchange

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Binbin

Air-sea interaction and the interfacial exchange of gas across the air-water interface are of great importance in coupled atmospheric-oceanic environmental systems. Aqueous turbulence structure immediately adjacent to the air-water interface is the combined result of wind, surface waves, currents and other environmental forces and plays a key role in energy budgets, gas fluxes and hence the global climate system. However, the quantification of turbulence structure sufficiently close to the air-water interface is extremely difficult. The physical relationship between interfacial gas exchange and near surface turbulence remains insufficiently investigated. This dissertation aims to measure turbulence in situ in a complex environmental forcing system on Lake Michigan and to reveal the relationship between turbulent statistics and the CO2 flux across the air-water interface. The major objective of this dissertation is to investigate the physical control of the interfacial gas exchange and to provide a universal parameterization of gas transfer velocity from environmental factors, as well as to propose a mechanistic model for the global CO2 flux that can be applied in three dimensional climate-ocean models. Firstly, this dissertation presents an advanced measurement instrument, an in situ free floating Particle Image Velocimetry (FPIV) system, designed and developed to investigate the small scale turbulence structure immediately below the air-water interface. Description of hardware components, design of the system, measurement theory, data analysis procedure and estimation of measurement error were provided. Secondly, with the FPIV system, statistics of small scale turbulence immediately below the air-water interface were investigated under a variety of environmental conditions. One dimensional wave-number spectrum and structure function sufficiently close to the water surface were examined. The vertical profiles of turbulent dissipation rate were intensively studied. Comparison between the turbulence structures measured during the wind wave initiation period and those obtained during the growing period was presented. Significant wave effects on near surface turbulence were found. A universal scaling law was proposed to parameterize turbulent dissipation rate immediately below the air-water interface with friction velocity, significant wave height and wave age. Finally, the gas transfer velocity was measured with a floating chamber (FC) system, along with simultaneously FPIV measurements. Turbulent dissipation rate both at the interface and at a short distance away from the interface (~ 10 cm) were analyzed and used to examine the small scale eddy model. The model coefficient was found to be dependent on the level of turbulence, instead of being a constant. An empirical relationship between the model coefficient and turbulent dissipation rate was provided, which improved the accuracy of the gas transfer velocity estimation by more than 100% for data acquired. Other data from the literature also supported this empirical relation. Furthermore, the relationship between model coefficient and turbulent Reynolds number was also investigated. In addition to physical control of gas exchange, the disturbance on near surface hydrodynamics by the FC was also discussed. Turbulent dissipation rates are enhanced at the short distance away from the interface, while the surface dissipation rates do not change significantly.

3D Anisotropy of Solar Wind Turbulence, Tubes, or Ribbons?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verdini, Andrea; Grappin, Roland; Alexandrova, Olga; Lion, Sonny

2018-01-01

We study the anisotropy with respect to the local magnetic field of turbulent magnetic fluctuations at magnetofluid scales in the solar wind. Previous measurements in the fast solar wind obtained axisymmetric anisotropy, despite that the analysis method allows nonaxisymmetric structures. These results are probably contaminated by the wind expansion that introduces another symmetry axis, namely, the radial direction, as indicated by recent numerical simulations. These simulations also show that while the expansion is strong, the principal fluctuations are in the plane perpendicular to the radial direction. Using this property, we separate 11 yr of Wind spacecraft data into two subsets characterized by strong and weak expansion and determine the corresponding turbulence anisotropy. Under strong expansion, the small-scale anisotropy is consistent with the Goldreich & Sridhar critical balance. As in previous works, when the radial symmetry axis is not eliminated, the turbulent structures are field-aligned tubes. Under weak expansion, we find 3D anisotropy predicted by the Boldyrev model, that is, turbulent structures are ribbons and not tubes. However, the very basis of the Boldyrev phenomenology, namely, a cross-helicity increasing at small scales, is not observed in the solar wind: the origin of the ribbon formation is unknown.

Phase-synchronization, energy cascade, and intermittency in solar-wind turbulence.

PubMed

Perri, S; Carbone, V; Vecchio, A; Bruno, R; Korth, H; Zurbuchen, T H; Sorriso-Valvo, L

2012-12-14

The energy cascade in solar wind magnetic turbulence is investigated using MESSENGER data in the inner heliosphere. The decomposition of magnetic field time series in intrinsic functions, each characterized by a typical time scale, reveals phase reorganization. This allows for the identification of structures of all sizes generated by the nonlinear turbulent cascade, covering both the inertial and the dispersive ranges of the turbulent magnetic power spectrum. We find that the correlation (or anticorrelation) of phases occurs between pairs of neighboring time scales, whenever localized peaks of magnetic energy are present at both scales, consistent with the local character of the energy transfer process.

Sodars and their application for investigation of the turbulent structure of the lower atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krasnenko, N. P.; Shamanaeva, L. G.

2016-11-01

Possibilities of sodar application for investigation of the spatiotemporal dynamics of three components of wind velocity vector, longitudinal and transverse structural functions of wind velocity field, structural characteristics of temperature and wind velocity, turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate, and outer scales of temperature and dynamic turbulence in the atmospheric boundary layer are analyzed. The original closed iterative algorithm of sodar data processing taking into account the classical and molecular absorption and the turbulent sound attenuation on the propagation path is used that allows the vertical profiles of the characteristics of temperature and wind velocity field to be reconstructed simultaneously and their interrelations to be investigated. It is demonstrated how the structure of temperature and wind turbulence is visualised in real time.

Wigner distribution function and kurtosis parameter of vortex beams propagating through turbulent atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suo, Qiangbo; Han, Yiping; Cui, Zhiwei

2017-09-01

Based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel integral, the analytical expressions for the Wigner distribution function (WDF) and kurtosis parameter of partially coherent flat-topped vortex (PCFTV) beams propagating through atmospheric turbulence and free space are derived. The WDF and kurtosis parameter of PCFTV beams through turbulent atmosphere are discussed with numerical examples. The numerical results show that the beam quality depends on the structure constants, the inner scale turbulence, the outer scale turbulence, the spatial correlation length, the wave length and the beam order. PCFTV beams are less affected by turbulence than partially flat-topped coherent (PCFT) beams under the same conditions, and will be useful in free-space optical communications.

The relationship between amplitude modulation, coherent structure and critical layers in wall turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKeon, Beverley

2015-11-01

The importance of critical layers in determining aspects of the structure of wall turbulence is discussed. We have shown (Jacobi & McKeon, 2013) that the amplitude modulation coefficient investigated most recently by Hutchins & Marusic (2007) and co-authors, which describes the correlation between large scales above a (spatial) wavelength filter with the envelope of small scales below the filter, is dominated by very large scale motion (VLSM) at a single wavelength. The resolvent analysis of McKeon & Sharma (2010) gives a suitable model for the three-dimensional, three-component form of the VLSM and energetic structure at other wavelengths. This model is used to identify the three-dimensional spatial variation of instantaneous critical layers in the presence of a mean velocity profile and to relate this to earlier observations of coherent structure in unperturbed flows (both experimental and via the resolvent model, Sharma & McKeon, 2013); to the phase relationships between scales identified by Chung & McKeon (2010, 2014); and to the structure of wall turbulence that has been modified by the addition of single synthetic scales, e.g. Jacobi & McKeon (2011), Duvvuri & McKeon (2015). The support of AFOSR under grant number FA 9550-12-1-0469 is gratefully acknowledged.

The cosmic web and microwave background fossilize the first turbulent combustion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gibson, Carl H.

2015-09-01

The weblike structure of the cosmic microwave background CMB temperature fluctuations are interpreted as fossils of the first turbulent combustion that drives the big bang1,2,3. Modern turbulence theory3 requires that inertial vortex forces cause turbulence to always cascade from small scales to large, contrary to the standard turbulence model where the cascade is reversed. Assuming that the universe begins at Planck length 10-35 m and temperature 1032 K, the mechanism of the big bang is a powerful turbulent combustion instability, where turbulence forms at the Kolmogorov scale and mass-energy is extracted by < -10113 Pa negative stresses from big bang turbulence working against gravity. Prograde accretion of a Planck antiparticle on a spinning particle-antiparticle pair releases 42% of a particle rest mass from the Kerr metric, producing a spinning gas of turbulent Planck particles that cascades to larger scales at smaller temperatures (10-27 m, 1027 K) retaining the Planck density 1097 kg m-3, where quarks form and gluon viscosity fossilizes the turbulence. Viscous stress powers inflation to ~ 10 m and ~ 10100 kg. The CMB shows signatures of both plasma and big bang turbulence. Direct numerical simulations support the new turbulence theory6.

Flow topologies and turbulence scales in a jet-in-cross-flow

DOE PAGES

Oefelein, Joseph C.; Ruiz, Anthony M.; Lacaze, Guilhem

2015-04-03

This study presents a detailed analysis of the flow topologies and turbulence scales in the jet-in-cross-flow experiment of [Su and Mungal JFM 2004]. The analysis is performed using the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) technique with a highly resolved grid and time-step and well controlled boundary conditions. This enables quantitative agreement with the first and second moments of turbulence statistics measured in the experiment. LES is used to perform the analysis since experimental measurements of time-resolved 3D fields are still in their infancy and because sampling periods are generally limited with direct numerical simulation. A major focal point is the comprehensivemore » characterization of the turbulence scales and their evolution. Time-resolved probes are used with long sampling periods to obtain maps of the integral scales, Taylor microscales, and turbulent kinetic energy spectra. Scalar-fluctuation scales are also quantified. In the near-field, coherent structures are clearly identified, both in physical and spectral space. Along the jet centerline, turbulence scales grow according to a classical one-third power law. However, the derived maps of turbulence scales reveal strong inhomogeneities in the flow. From the modeling perspective, these insights are useful to design optimized grids and improve numerical predictions in similar configurations.« less

Bounded energy states in homogeneous turbulent shear flow - An alternative view

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bernard, P. S.; Speziale, C. G.

1992-01-01

The equilibrium structure of homogeneous turbulent shear flow is investigated from a theoretical standpoint. Existing turbulence models, in apparent agreement with physical and numerical experiments, predict an unbounded exponential time growth of the turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation rate; only the anisotropy tensor and turbulent time scale reach a structural equilibrium. It is shown that if a residual vortex stretching term is maintained in the dissipation rate transport equation, then there can exist equilibrium solutions, with bounded energy states, where the turbulence production is balanced by its dissipation. Illustrative calculations are presented for a k-epsilon model modified to account for net vortex stretching.

The structure and statistics of interstellar turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kritsuk, A. G.; Ustyugov, S. D.; Norman, M. L.

2017-06-01

We explore the structure and statistics of multiphase, magnetized ISM turbulence in the local Milky Way by means of driven periodic box numerical MHD simulations. Using the higher order-accurate piecewise-parabolic method on a local stencil (PPML), we carry out a small parameter survey varying the mean magnetic field strength and density while fixing the rms velocity to observed values. We quantify numerous characteristics of the transient and steady-state turbulence, including its thermodynamics and phase structure, kinetic and magnetic energy power spectra, structure functions, and distribution functions of density, column density, pressure, and magnetic field strength. The simulations reproduce many observables of the local ISM, including molecular clouds, such as the ratio of turbulent to mean magnetic field at 100 pc scale, the mass and volume fractions of thermally stable Hi, the lognormal distribution of column densities, the mass-weighted distribution of thermal pressure, and the linewidth-size relationship for molecular clouds. Our models predict the shape of magnetic field probability density functions (PDFs), which are strongly non-Gaussian, and the relative alignment of magnetic field and density structures. Finally, our models show how the observed low rates of star formation per free-fall time are controlled by the multiphase thermodynamics and large-scale turbulence.

Laboratory Experiments On Continually Forced 2d Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wells, M. G.; Clercx, H. J. H.; Van Heijst, G. J. F.

There has been much recent interest in the advection of tracers by 2D turbulence in geophysical flows. While there is a large body of literature on decaying 2D turbulence or forced 2D turbulence in unbounded domains, there have been very few studies of forced turbulence in bounded domains. In this study we present new experimental results from a continuously forced quasi 2D turbulent field. The experiments are performed in a square Perspex tank filled with water. The flow is made quasi 2D by a steady background rotation. The rotation rate of the tank has a small (<8 %) sinusoidal perturbation which leads to the periodic formation of eddies in the corners of the tank. When the oscillation period of the perturbation is greater than an eddy roll-up time-scale, dipole structures are observed to form. The dipoles can migrate away from the walls, and the interior of the tank is continually filled with vortexs. From experimental visualizations the length scale of the vortexs appears to be largely controlled by the initial formation mechanism and large scale structures are not observed to form at large times. Thus the experiments provide a simple way of cre- ating a continuously forced 2D turbulent field. The resulting structures are in contrast with most previous laboratory experiments on 2D turbulence which have investigated decaying turbulence and have observed the formations of large scale structure. In these experiments, decaying turbulence had been produced by a variety of methods such as the decaying turbulence in the wake of a comb of rods (Massen et al 1999), organiza- tion of vortices in thin conducting liquids (Cardoso et al 1994) or in rotating systems where there are sudden changes in angular rotation rate (Konijnenberg et al 1998). Results of dye visualizations, particle tracking experiments and a direct numerical simulation will be presented and discussed in terms of their oceanographic application. Bibliography Cardoso,O. Marteau, D. &Tabeling, P. Quantitative experimental study of the free decay of quasi-two-dimensional turbulence Phys. Rev. E 49, 454 (1994) Maassen, S.R., H.J.H. Clercx &G.J.F. van Heijst - Decaying quasi-2D turbulence in a stratified fluid with circular boundaries. Europhys. Lett. 46, 339-345 (1999). Konijnenberg, J.A. van de, J.B. Flor &G.J.F. van Heijst - Decaying quasi-two- dimensional viscous flow on a square domain. Phys. Fluids 10, 595-606 (1998).

Spectral enstrophy budget in a shear-less flow with turbulent/non-turbulent interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cimarelli, Andrea; Cocconi, Giacomo; Frohnapfel, Bettina; De Angelis, Elisabetta

2015-12-01

A numerical analysis of the interaction between decaying shear free turbulence and quiescent fluid is performed by means of global statistical budgets of enstrophy, both, at the single-point and two point levels. The single-point enstrophy budget allows us to recognize three physically relevant layers: a bulk turbulent region, an inhomogeneous turbulent layer, and an interfacial layer. Within these layers, enstrophy is produced, transferred, and finally destroyed while leading to a propagation of the turbulent front. These processes do not only depend on the position in the flow field but are also strongly scale dependent. In order to tackle this multi-dimensional behaviour of enstrophy in the space of scales and in physical space, we analyse the spectral enstrophy budget equation. The picture consists of an inviscid spatial cascade of enstrophy from large to small scales parallel to the interface moving towards the interface. At the interface, this phenomenon breaks, leaving place to an anisotropic cascade where large scale structures exhibit only a cascade process normal to the interface thus reducing their thickness while retaining their lengths parallel to the interface. The observed behaviour could be relevant for both the theoretical and the modelling approaches to flow with interacting turbulent/nonturbulent regions. The scale properties of the turbulent propagation mechanisms highlight that the inviscid turbulent transport is a large-scale phenomenon. On the contrary, the viscous diffusion, commonly associated with small scale mechanisms, highlights a much richer physics involving small lengths, normal to the interface, but at the same time large scales, parallel to the interface.

The H I-to-H2 Transition in a Turbulent Medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bialy, Shmuel; Burkhart, Blakesley; Sternberg, Amiel

2017-07-01

We study the effect of density fluctuations induced by turbulence on the H I/H2 structure in photodissociation regions (PDRs) both analytically and numerically. We perform magnetohydrodynamic numerical simulations for both subsonic and supersonic turbulent gas and chemical H I/H2 balance calculations. We derive atomic-to-molecular density profiles and the H I column density probability density function (PDF) assuming chemical equilibrium. We find that, while the H I/H2 density profiles are strongly perturbed in turbulent gas, the mean H I column density is well approximated by the uniform-density analytic formula of Sternberg et al. The PDF width depends on (a) the radiation intensity-to-mean density ratio, (b) the sonic Mach number, and (c) the turbulence decorrelation scale, or driving scale. We derive an analytic model for the H I PDF and demonstrate how our model, combined with 21 cm observations, can be used to constrain the Mach number and driving scale of turbulent gas. As an example, we apply our model to observations of H I in the Perseus molecular cloud. We show that a narrow observed H I PDF may imply small-scale decorrelation, pointing to the potential importance of subcloud-scale turbulence driving.

Magnetic discontinuities in magnetohydrodynamic turbulence and in the solar wind.

PubMed

Zhdankin, Vladimir; Boldyrev, Stanislav; Mason, Joanne; Perez, Jean Carlos

2012-04-27

Recent measurements of solar wind turbulence report the presence of intermittent, exponentially distributed angular discontinuities in the magnetic field. In this Letter, we study whether such discontinuities can be produced by magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence. We detect the discontinuities by measuring the fluctuations of the magnetic field direction, Δθ, across fixed spatial increments Δx in direct numerical simulations of MHD turbulence with an imposed uniform guide field B(0). A large region of the probability density function (pdf) for Δθ is found to follow an exponential decay, proportional to exp(-Δθ/θ(*)), with characteristic angle θ(*)≈(14°)(b(rms)/B(0))(0.65) for a broad range of guide-field strengths. We find that discontinuities observed in the solar wind can be reproduced by MHD turbulence with reasonable ratios of b(rms)/B(0). We also observe an excess of small angular discontinuities when Δx becomes small, possibly indicating an increasing statistical significance of dissipation-scale structures. The structure of the pdf in this case closely resembles the two-population pdf seen in the solar wind. We thus propose that strong discontinuities are associated with inertial-range MHD turbulence, while weak discontinuities emerge from dissipation-range turbulence. In addition, we find that the structure functions of the magnetic field direction exhibit anomalous scaling exponents, which indicates the existence of intermittent structures.

Aperture averaging in strong oceanic turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gökçe, Muhsin Caner; Baykal, Yahya

2018-04-01

Receiver aperture averaging technique is employed in underwater wireless optical communication (UWOC) systems to mitigate the effects of oceanic turbulence, thus to improve the system performance. The irradiance flux variance is a measure of the intensity fluctuations on a lens of the receiver aperture. Using the modified Rytov theory which uses the small-scale and large-scale spatial filters, and our previously presented expression that shows the atmospheric structure constant in terms of oceanic turbulence parameters, we evaluate the irradiance flux variance and the aperture averaging factor of a spherical wave in strong oceanic turbulence. Irradiance flux variance variations are examined versus the oceanic turbulence parameters and the receiver aperture diameter are examined in strong oceanic turbulence. Also, the effect of the receiver aperture diameter on the aperture averaging factor is presented in strong oceanic turbulence.

Environmental turbulence and climate-weather scaling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben Mahjoub, Otman; Cherubini, Claudia; Jebbad, Raghda; Mosso, Cessar; Benjamin, Juan Jose; Jorge, Joan; Diez, Margarita; Redondo, Jose M.

2017-04-01

Climate changes in Harbours, coastal areas and ROFI are key to Environmental flows. Ocean and Atmospheric turbulence is an energetic, eddying state of motion that disperses material at rates far higher than those of molecular processes alone; The role of intermittency and understanding of how turbulence is modified at Climatic and Weather scales in shallow seas, the deep ocean, and in the mixed layers is of great importance and practical applications. The larger-scale and time coherent structures associated with large Stommel diagram processes akin to turbulence that also have intermittency. With the aid of remote sensing we also use surface signatures[1,2] that can be detected and used to infer ocean parameters. Such effects dominate mesoscale vorticity, the role of Rossby deformation radius, Spiral eddies, convective cells, or the spacing of Langmuir turbulence, related to the depth of the mixed layer, or to cloud tops. The dominant instability processes can generate different intermittency , detected often as bursts or in variations in the scale to scale transfer of turbulence. We include climatic scales where Extended Self Simmilarity is used also in these scales in a fractal way. Global experiments, even with a wide range of new configurations are possible[3-6]. Such complex flows are known to generate nonequilbrium and non-local turbulence which produces different turbulence properties and varying intermittency. Applications to enhanced mixing and drag reduction are still being investigated [6, 7], and how do the turbulence and mixing properties change in Lagrangian and Eulerian descriptors with generalized Rayleigh, Rossby, Richardson and Reynolds numbers? in complex Poincare like, parameter spaces. [1]. Redondo J.M., Mixing efficiencies of different kinds of turbulent processes and instabilities, Applications to the environment in Turbulent mixing in geophysical flows. Eds. Linden P.F. and Redondo J.M. 131-157. 2002. [2]. Ben Mahjoub, Redondo J.M.and Babiano A. Structure functions in complex flows . Applied Scientific Research 59, 299.1998. [3]. Castilla R., Onate E. and Redondo J.M. Models, Experiments and Computations in Turbulence. CIMNE, Barcelona. 2007. P. 255. [4]. Nicolleau, F.C.G.A.; Cambon, C.; Redondo, J.M.; Vassilicos, J.C.; Reeks, M.; Nowakowski,A.F. (Eds.)(2012) New Approaches in Modeling Multiphase Flows and Dispersion in Turbulence, Fractal Methods and Synthetic Turbulence. ERCOFTAC Series. [5]. Fraunie P., Berreba S. Chashechkin Y., Velasco D. and Redondo J.M. (2008) LES and laboratory experiments on the decay of grid wakes in strongly stratied fows. Il Nuovo Cimento 31, 909-930 [6]. Gonzlez-Nieto, P., Cano J.L., and J. M. Redondo. (2008) Buoyant Mixing Processes Generated in Turbulent Plume Arrays. Fsica de la Tierra 19, 2008: 205-217. [7]. Redondo J.M. and Babiano A.: Turbulent Diffusion in the Environment, 2001, Fragma, Madrid.

THE EFFECTS OF KINETIC INSTABILITIES ON SMALL-SCALE TURBULENCE IN EARTH’S MAGNETOSHEATH

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Breuillard, H.; Yordanova, E.; Vaivads, A.

2016-09-20

The Earth's magnetosheath is the region delimited by the bow shock and the magnetopause. It is characterized by highly turbulent fluctuations covering all scales from MHD down to kinetic scales. Turbulence is thought to play a fundamental role in key processes such as energy transport and dissipation in plasma. In addition to turbulence, different plasma instabilities are generated in the magnetosheath because of the large anisotropies in plasma temperature introduced by its boundaries. In this study we use high-quality magnetic field measurements from Cluster spacecraft to investigate the effects of such instabilities on the small-scale turbulence (from ion down tomore » electron scales). We show that the steepening of the power spectrum of magnetic field fluctuations in the magnetosheath occurs at the largest characteristic ion scale. However, the spectrum can be modified by the presence of waves/structures at ion scales, shifting the onset of the small-scale turbulent cascade toward the smallest ion scale. This cascade is therefore highly dependent on the presence of kinetic instabilities, waves, and local plasma parameters. Here we show that in the absence of strong waves the small-scale turbulence is quasi-isotropic and has a spectral index α ≈ −2.8. When transverse or compressive waves are present, we observe an anisotropy in the magnetic field components and a decrease in the absolute value of α . Slab/2D turbulence also develops in the presence of transverse/compressive waves, resulting in gyrotropy/non-gyrotropy of small-scale fluctuations. The presence of both types of waves reduces the anisotropy in the amplitude of fluctuations in the small-scale range.« less

Large-Scale Flow Structure in Turbulent Nonpremixed Flames under Normal- And Low-Gravity Conditions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clemens, N. T.; Idicheria, C. A.; Boxx, I. G.

2001-01-01

It is well known that buoyancy has a major influence on the flow structure of turbulent nonpremixed jet flames. Buoyancy acts by inducing baroclinic torques, which generate large-scale vortical structures that can significantly modify the flow field. Furthermore, some suggest that buoyancy can substantially influence the large-scale structure of even nominally momentum-dominated flames, since the low velocity flow outside of the flame will be more susceptible to buoyancy effects. Even subtle buoyancy effects may be important because changes in the large-scale structure affects the local entrainment and fluctuating strain rate, and hence the structure of the flame. Previous studies that have compared the structure of normal- and micro-gravity nonpremixed jet flames note that flames in microgravity are longer and wider than in normal-gravity. This trend was observed for jet flames ranging from laminar to turbulent regimes. Furthermore, imaging of the flames has shown possible evidence of helical instabilities and disturbances starting from the base of the flame in microgravity. In contrast, these characteristics were not observed in normal-gravity. The objective of the present study is to further advance our knowledge of the effects of weak levels of buoyancy on the structure of transitional and turbulent nonpremixed jet flames. In later studies we will utilize the drop tower facilities at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC), but the preliminary work described in this paper was conducted using the 1.25-second drop tower located at the University of Texas at Austin. A more detailed description of these experiments can be found in Idicheria et al.

Direct and inverse energy cascades in a forced rotating turbulence experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campagne, Antoine; Gallet, Basile; Moisy, Frédéric; Cortet, Pierre-Philippe

2014-12-01

We present experimental evidence for a double cascade of kinetic energy in a statistically stationary rotating turbulence experiment. Turbulence is generated by a set of vertical flaps, which continuously injects velocity fluctuations towards the center of a rotating water tank. The energy transfers are evaluated from two-point third-order three-component velocity structure functions, which we measure using stereoscopic particle image velocimetry in the rotating frame. Without global rotation, the energy is transferred from large to small scales, as in classical three-dimensional turbulence. For nonzero rotation rates, the horizontal kinetic energy presents a double cascade: a direct cascade at small horizontal scales and an inverse cascade at large horizontal scales. By contrast, the vertical kinetic energy is always transferred from large to small horizontal scales, a behavior reminiscent of the dynamics of a passive scalar in two-dimensional turbulence. At the largest rotation rate, the flow is nearly two-dimensional, and a pure inverse energy cascade is found for the horizontal energy. To describe the scale-by-scale energy budget, we consider a generalization of the Kármán-Howarth-Monin equation to inhomogeneous turbulent flows, in which the energy input is explicitly described as the advection of turbulent energy from the flaps through the surface of the control volume where the measurements are performed.

Dissipation of Turbulence in the Solar Wind as Measured by Cluster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Goldstein, Melvyn

2012-01-01

Turbulence in fluids and plasmas is a scale-dependent process that generates fluctuations towards ever-smaller scales until dissipation occurs. Recent Cluster observations in the solar wind demonstrate the existence of a cascade of magnetic energy from the scale of the proton Larmor radius, where kinetic properties of ions invalidate fluid approximations, down to the electron Larmor radius, where electrons become demagnetized. The cascade is quasi-two-dimensional and has been interpreted as consisting of highly oblique kinetic Alfvenic fluctuations that dissipate near at the electron gyroradius scale via proton and electron Landau damping. Here we investigate for the first time the spatial properties of the turbulence at these scales. We report the presence of thin current sheets and discontinuities with spatial sizes greater than or approximately equal to the proton Larmor radius. These isolated structures may be manifestations of intermittency, and such would localize sites of turbulent dissipation. Studying the relationship between turbulent dissipation, reconnection and intermittency is crucial for understanding the dynamics of laboratory and astrophysical plasmas.

Experiments on integral length scale control in atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varshney, Kapil; Poddar, Kamal

2011-11-01

Accurate predictions of turbulent characteristics in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) depends on understanding the effects of surface roughness on the spatial distribution of velocity, turbulence intensity, and turbulence length scales. Simulation of the ABL characteristics have been performed in a short test section length wind tunnel to determine the appropriate length scale factor for modeling, which ensures correct aeroelastic behavior of structural models for non-aerodynamic applications. The ABL characteristics have been simulated by using various configurations of passive devices such as vortex generators, air barriers, and slot in the test section floor which was extended into the contraction cone. Mean velocity and velocity fluctuations have been measured using a hot-wire anemometry system. Mean velocity, turbulence intensity, turbulence scale, and power spectral density of velocity fluctuations have been obtained from the experiments for various configuration of the passive devices. It is shown that the integral length scale factor can be controlled using various combinations of the passive devices.

Large-scale Density Structures in Magneto-rotational Disk Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Youdin, Andrew; Johansen, A.; Klahr, H.

2009-01-01

Turbulence generated by the magneto-rotational instability (MRI) is a strong candidate to drive accretion flows in disks, including sufficiently ionized regions of protoplanetary disks. The MRI is often studied in local shearing boxes, which model a small section of the disk at high resolution. I will present simulations of large, stratified shearing boxes which extend up to 10 gas scale-heights across. These simulations are a useful bridge to fully global disk simulations. We find that MRI turbulence produces large-scale, axisymmetric density perturbations . These structures are part of a zonal flow --- analogous to the banded flow in Jupiter's atmosphere --- which survives in near geostrophic balance for tens of orbits. The launching mechanism is large-scale magnetic tension generated by an inverse cascade. We demonstrate the robustness of these results by careful study of various box sizes, grid resolutions, and microscopic diffusion parameterizations. These gas structures can trap solid material (in the form of large dust or ice particles) with important implications for planet formation. Resolved disk images at mm-wavelengths (e.g. from ALMA) will verify or constrain the existence of these structures.

Subgrid-scale models for large-eddy simulation of rotating turbulent channel flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silvis, Maurits H.; Bae, Hyunji Jane; Trias, F. Xavier; Abkar, Mahdi; Moin, Parviz; Verstappen, Roel

2017-11-01

We aim to design subgrid-scale models for large-eddy simulation of rotating turbulent flows. Rotating turbulent flows form a challenging test case for large-eddy simulation due to the presence of the Coriolis force. The Coriolis force conserves the total kinetic energy while transporting it from small to large scales of motion, leading to the formation of large-scale anisotropic flow structures. The Coriolis force may also cause partial flow laminarization and the occurrence of turbulent bursts. Many subgrid-scale models for large-eddy simulation are, however, primarily designed to parametrize the dissipative nature of turbulent flows, ignoring the specific characteristics of transport processes. We, therefore, propose a new subgrid-scale model that, in addition to the usual dissipative eddy viscosity term, contains a nondissipative nonlinear model term designed to capture transport processes, such as those due to rotation. We show that the addition of this nonlinear model term leads to improved predictions of the energy spectra of rotating homogeneous isotropic turbulence as well as of the Reynolds stress anisotropy in spanwise-rotating plane-channel flows. This work is financed by the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research (NWO) under Project Number 613.001.212.

Structure of turbulent non-premixed flames modeled with two-step chemistry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, J. H.; Mahalingam, S.; Puri, I. K.; Vervisch, L.

1992-01-01

Direct numerical simulations of turbulent diffusion flames modeled with finite-rate, two-step chemistry, A + B yields I, A + I yields P, were carried out. A detailed analysis of the turbulent flame structure reveals the complex nature of the penetration of various reactive species across two reaction zones in mixture fraction space. Due to this two zone structure, these flames were found to be robust, resisting extinction over the parameter ranges investigated. As in single-step computations, mixture fraction dissipation rate and the mixture fraction were found to be statistically correlated. Simulations involving unequal molecular diffusivities suggest that the small scale mixing process and, hence, the turbulent flame structure is sensitive to the Schmidt number.

Group-kinetic theory and modeling of atmospheric turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tchen, C. M.

1989-01-01

A group kinetic method is developed for analyzing eddy transport properties and relaxation to equilibrium. The purpose is to derive the spectral structure of turbulence in incompressible and compressible media. Of particular interest are: direct and inverse cascade, boundary layer turbulence, Rossby wave turbulence, two phase turbulence; compressible turbulence, and soliton turbulence. Soliton turbulence can be found in large scale turbulence, turbulence connected with surface gravity waves and nonlinear propagation of acoustical and optical waves. By letting the pressure gradient represent the elementary interaction among fluid elements and by raising the Navier-Stokes equation to higher dimensionality, the master equation was obtained for the description of the microdynamical state of turbulence.

A dynamic subgrid-scale model for LES of the G-equation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bourlioux, A.; Im, H. G.; Ferziger, J. H.

1996-01-01

Turbulent combustion is a difficult subject as it must deal with all of the issues found in both turbulence and combustion. (We consider only premixed flames in this paper, but some of the ideas can be applied to the non-premixed case.) As in many other fields, there are two limiting cases that are easier to deal with than the general case. These are the situations in which the chemical time scale is either much shorter or much longer than the time scale associated with the turbulence. We deal with the former case. In this limit, the flame is thin compared to the turbulence length scales and can be idealized as an infinitely thin sheet. This is commonly called the flamelet regime; it has been the subject of many papers and the basis for many models (see, e.g., Linan & Williams 1993). In the flamelet model, the local flame structure is assumed to be identical to the laminar flame structure; thus the flame propagates normal to itself at the laminar flame speed, S(sub L). This allows the use of simple approximations. For example, one expects the rate of consumption of fuel to be proportional to the area of the flame surface. This idea allowed Damkohler (1940) to propose that the wrinkled flame could be replaced by a smooth one which travels at the turbulent flame speed, S(sub T), defined by S(sub T)/S(sub L) = A(sub L) /A(sub P) where A(sub L) is the total flame surface area and AP is the area projected onto the mean direction of propagation. This relation can be expected to be valid when the flame structure is modified only slightly by the turbulence. More recent approaches have attempted to relate the turbulent flame speed to turbulence intensity, u(sub '), which presumably, characterizes the wrinkling of the flame.

The Effect of Stem- and Canopy-Scale Turbulence on Sediment Dynamics within Submerged Vegetation.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tinoco, R. O.; San Juan Blanco, J. E.; Prada, A. F.

2017-12-01

Stem- and canopy-scale turbulence generated by submerged patches of vegetation plays a paramount role on sediment transport within aquatic ecosystems such as wetlands, marshes, mangrove forests, and coastal regions, as dense patches dampen velocities and mean bed stresses within the plants, while also increasing turbulence intensity through stem-scale wakes and canopy-scale eddies. To explore the interactions between such processes, laboratory experiments are conducted using rigid cylinders placed in a staggered configuration as vegetation elements, embedded on a non-cohesive sediment bed in a racetrack flume. Quantitative imaging is used to characterize the flow field and the associated suspended sediment concentration throughout the water column at different submergence ratios, defined as the ratio between water depth, H, and plant height, h, to investigate the role of canopy-scale eddies formed at the top of the canopy, and their interaction with near-bed flow structures, on sediment dynamics. Turbulent kinetic energy, turbulent intensity, and Reynolds stresses are quantified within and above the array to clearly identify the contributions from bed generated turbulence and vegetation generated turbulence, at both stem- and canopy-scale, as submergence ratio increases from emergent, H/h=1, to fully submerged, H/h=5, conditions. The experimental results are compared with transport models to highlight the need for a multi-scale approach to represent flow-vegetation-sediment interactions.

Characterizing Ocean Turbulence from Argo, Acoustic Doppler, and Simulation Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCaffrey, Katherine

Turbulence is inherently chaotic and unsteady, so observing it and modeling it are no easy tasks. The ocean's sheer size makes it even more difficult to observe, and its unpredictable and ever-changing forcings introduce additional complexities. Turbulence in the oceans ranges from basin scale to the scale of the molecular viscosity. The method of energy transfer between scales is, however, an area of active research, so observations of the ocean at all scales are crucial to understanding the basic dynamics of its motions. In this collection of work, I use a variety of datasets to characterize a wide range of scales of turbulence, including observations from multiple instruments and from models with different governing equations. I analyzed the largest scales of the turbulent range using the global salinity data of the Argo profiling float network. Taking advantage of the scattered and discontinuous nature of this dataset, the second-order structure function was calculated down to 2000m depth, and shown to be useful for predicting spectral slopes. Results showed structure function slopes of 2/3 at small scales, and 0 at large scales, which corresponds with spectral slopes of -5/3 at small scales, and -1 at large scales. Using acoustic Doppler velocity measurements, I characterized the meter- to kilometer-scale turbulence at a potential tidal energy site in the Puget Sound, WA. Acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) and acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) observations provided the data for an analysis that includes coherence, anisotropy, and intermittency. In order to more simply describe these features, a parameterization was done with four turbulence metrics, and the anisotropy magnitude, introduced here, was shown to most closely capture the coherent events. Then, using both the NREL TurbSim stochastic turbulence generator and the NCAR large-eddy simulation (LES) model, I calculated turbulence statistics to validate the accuracy of these methods in reproducing the tidal channel. TurbSim models statistics at the height of a turbine hub (5m) well, but do not model coherent events, while the LES does create these events, but not realistically in this configuration, based on comparisons with observations. Each of the datasets have disadvantages when it comes to observing turbulence. The Argo network is sparse in space, and few measurements are taken simultaneously in time. Therefore spatial and temporal averaging is needed, which requires the turbulence to be homogeneous and stationary if it is to be generalized. Though the acoustic Doppler current profiler provides a vertical profile of velocities, the fluctuations are dominated by instrument noise and beam spread, preventing it from being used for most turbulence metrics. ADV measurements have much less noise, and no beam spread, but the observations are made at one point in space, limiting us to temporal statistics or an assumption of "frozen turbulence" to infer spatial scales. As for the models, TurbSim does not have any real-world forcing, and uses parameterized spectra, and coherence functions and randomizes phase information, while LES models must make assumptions about sub-grid scales, which may be inaccurate. Additionally, all models are set up with idealizations of the forcing and domain, which may make the results unlike observations in a particular location and time. Despite these difficulties in observing and characterizing turbulence, I present several quantities that use the imperfect, yet still valuable observations, to attain a better description of the turbulence in the oceans.

Outer scale of atmospheric turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lukin, Vladimir P.

2005-10-01

In the early 70's, the scientists in Italy (A.Consortini, M.Bertolotti, L.Ronchi), USA (R.Buser, Ochs, S.Clifford) and USSR (V.Pokasov, V.Lukin) almost simultaneously discovered the phenomenon of deviation from the power law and the effect of saturation for the structure phase function. During a period of 35 years we have performed successively the investigations of the effect of low-frequency spectral range of atmospheric turbulence on the optical characteristics. The influence of the turbulence models as well as a outer scale of turbulence on the characteristics of telescopes and systems of laser beam formations has been determined too.

Coherent structures in wall-bounded turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiménez, Javier

2018-05-01

This article discusses the description of wall-bounded turbulence as a deterministic high-dimensional dynamical system of interacting coherent structures, defined as eddies with enough internal dynamics to behave relatively autonomously from any remaining incoherent part of the flow. The guiding principle is that randomness is not a property, but a methodological choice of what to ignore in the flow, and that a complete understanding of turbulence, including the possibility of control, requires that it be kept to a minimum. After briefly reviewing the underlying low-order statistics of flows at moderate Reynolds numbers, the article examines what two-point statistics imply for the decomposition of the flow into individual eddies. Intense eddies are examined next, including their temporal evolution, and shown to satisfy many of the properties required for coherence. In particular, it is shown that coherent structures larger than the Corrsin scale are a natural consequence of the shear. In wall-bounded turbulence, they can be classified into coherent dispersive waves and transient bursts. The former are found in the viscous layer near the wall and as very-large structures spanning the boundary layer thickness. Although they are shear-driven, these waves have enough internal structure to maintain a uniform advection velocity. Conversely, bursts exist at all scales, are characteristic of the logarithmic layer, and interact almost linearly with the shear. While the waves require a wall to determine their length scale, the bursts are essentially independent from it. The article concludes with a brief review of our present theoretical understanding of turbulent structures, and with a list of open problems and future perspectives.

Experimental and theoretical study of combustion jet ignition

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, D. Y.; Ghoniem, A. F.; Oppenheim, A. K.

1983-01-01

A combustion jet ignition system was developed to generate turbulent jets of combustion products containing free radicals and to discharge them as ignition sources into a combustible medium. In order to understand the ignition and the inflammation processes caused by combustion jets, the studies of the fluid mechanical properties of turbulent jets with and without combustion were conducted theoretically and experimentally. Experiments using a specially designed igniter, with a prechamber to build up and control the stagnation pressure upstream of the orifice, were conducted to investigate the formation processes of turbulent jets of combustion products. The penetration speed of combustion jets has been found to be constant initially and then decreases monotonically as turbulent jets of combustion products travel closer to the wall. This initial penetration speed to combustion jets is proportional to the initial stagnation pressure upstream of the orifice for the same stoichiometric mixture. Computer simulations by Chorin's Random Vortex Method implemented with the flame propagation algorithm for the theoretical model of turbulent jets with and without combustion were performed to study the turbulent jet flow field. In the formation processes of the turbulent jets, the large-scale eddy structure of turbulence, the so-called coherent structure, dominates the entrainment and mixing processes. The large-scale eddy structure of turbulent jets in this study is constructed by a series of vortex pairs, which are organized in the form of a staggered array of vortex clouds generating local recirculation flow patterns.

Annual Research Briefs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spinks, Debra (Compiler)

1997-01-01

This report contains the 1997 annual progress reports of the research fellows and students supported by the Center for Turbulence Research (CTR). Titles include: Invariant modeling in large-eddy simulation of turbulence; Validation of large-eddy simulation in a plain asymmetric diffuser; Progress in large-eddy simulation of trailing-edge turbulence and aeronautics; Resolution requirements in large-eddy simulations of shear flows; A general theory of discrete filtering for LES in complex geometry; On the use of discrete filters for large eddy simulation; Wall models in large eddy simulation of separated flow; Perspectives for ensemble average LES; Anisotropic grid-based formulas for subgrid-scale models; Some modeling requirements for wall models in large eddy simulation; Numerical simulation of 3D turbulent boundary layers using the V2F model; Accurate modeling of impinging jet heat transfer; Application of turbulence models to high-lift airfoils; Advances in structure-based turbulence modeling; Incorporating realistic chemistry into direct numerical simulations of turbulent non-premixed combustion; Effects of small-scale structure on turbulent mixing; Turbulent premixed combustion in the laminar flamelet and the thin reaction zone regime; Large eddy simulation of combustion instabilities in turbulent premixed burners; On the generation of vorticity at a free-surface; Active control of turbulent channel flow; A generalized framework for robust control in fluid mechanics; Combined immersed-boundary/B-spline methods for simulations of flow in complex geometries; and DNS of shock boundary-layer interaction - preliminary results for compression ramp flow.

SUPERNOVA DRIVING. I. THE ORIGIN OF MOLECULAR CLOUD TURBULENCE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Padoan, Paolo; Pan, Liubin; Haugbølle, Troels

2016-05-01

Turbulence is ubiquitous in molecular clouds (MCs), but its origin is still unclear because MCs are usually assumed to live longer than the turbulence dissipation time. Interstellar medium (ISM) turbulence is likely driven by supernova (SN) explosions, but it has never been demonstrated that SN explosions can establish and maintain a turbulent cascade inside MCs consistent with the observations. In this work, we carry out a simulation of SN-driven turbulence in a volume of (250 pc){sup 3}, specifically designed to test if SN driving alone can be responsible for the observed turbulence inside MCs. We find that SN driving establishesmore » a velocity scaling consistent with the usual scaling laws of supersonic turbulence, suggesting that previous idealized simulations of MC turbulence, driven with a random, large-scale volume force, were correctly adopted as appropriate models for MC turbulence, despite the artificial driving. We also find that the same scaling laws extend to the interiors of MCs, and that the velocity–size relation of the MCs selected from our simulation is consistent with that of MCs from the Outer-Galaxy Survey, the largest MC sample available. The mass–size relation and the mass and size probability distributions also compare successfully with those of the Outer Galaxy Survey. Finally, we show that MC turbulence is super-Alfvénic with respect to both the mean and rms magnetic-field strength. We conclude that MC structure and dynamics are the natural result of SN-driven turbulence.« less

Edge-core interaction of ITG turbulence in Tokamaks: Is the Tail Wagging the Dog?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ku, S.; Chang, C. S.; Dif-Pradalier, G.; Diamond, P. H.

2010-11-01

A full-f XGC1 gyrokinetic simulation of ITG turbulence, together with the neoclassical dynamics without scale separation, has been performed for the whole-volume plasma in realistic diverted DIII-D geometry. The simulation revealed that the global structure of the turbulence and transport in tokamak plasmas results from a synergy between edge-driven inward propagation of turbulence intensity and the core-driven outward heat transport. The global ion confinement and the ion temperature gradient then self-organize quickly at turbulence propagation time scale. This synergy results in inward-outward pulse scattering leading to spontaneous production of strong internal shear layers in which the turbulent transport is almost suppressed over several radial correlation lengths. Co-existence of the edge turbulence source and the strong internal shear layer leads to radially increasing turbulence intensity and ion thermal transport profiles.

The Rapid Distortion of Two-Way Coupled Particle-Laden Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kasbaoui, Mohamed; Koch, Donald; Desjardins, Olivier

2017-11-01

The modulation of sheared turbulence by dispersed particles is addressed in the two-way coupling regime. The preferential sampling of the straining regions of the flow by inertial particles in turbulence leads to the formation of clusters. These fast sedimenting particle structures cause the anisotropic alteration of turbulence at small scales in the direction of gravity. These effects are investigated in a revisited Rapid Distortion Theory (RDT), extended for two-way coupled particle-laden flows. To make the analysis tractable, we assume that particles have small but non-zero inertia. In the classical results for single-phase flows, the RDT assumption of fast shearing compared to the turbulence time scales leads to the distortion of ``frozen'' turbulence. In particle-laden turbulence, the coupling between the two phases remains strong even under fast shearing and leads to a dynamic modulation of the turbulence spectrum. Turbulence statistics obtained from RDT are compared with Euler-Lagrange simulations of homogeneously sheared particle-laden turbulence.

A perspective on coherent structures and conceptual models for turbulent boundary layer physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robinson, Stephen K.

1990-01-01

Direct numerical simulations of turbulent boundary layers have been analyzed to develop a unified conceptual model for the kinematics of coherent motions in low Reynolds number canonical turbulent boundary layers. All classes of coherent motions are considered in the model, including low-speed streaks, ejections and sweeps, vortical structures, near-wall and outer-region shear layers, sublayer pockets, and large-scale outer-region eddies. The model reflects the conclusions from the study of the simulated boundary layer that vortical structures are directly associated with the production of turbulent shear stresses, entrainment, dissipation of turbulence kinetic energy, and the fluctuating pressure field. These results, when viewed from the perspective of the large body of published work on the subject of coherent motions, confirm that vortical structures may be considered the central dynamic element in the maintenance of turbulence in the canonical boundary layer. Vortical structures serve as a framework on which to construct a unified picture of boundary layer structure, providing a means to relate the many known structural elements in a consistent way.

On the Two Components of Turbulent Mixing Noise from Supersonic Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tam, Christopher K. W.; Golebiowski, Michel; Seiner, J. M.

1996-01-01

It is argued that because of the lack of intrinsic length and time scales in the core part of the jet flow, the radiated noise spectrum of a high-speed jet should exhibit similarity. A careful analysis of all the axisymmetric supersonic jet noise spectra in the data-bank of the Jet Noise Laboratory of the NASA Langley Research Center has been carried out. Two similarity spectra, one for the noise from the large turbulence structures/instability waves of the jet flow, the other for the noise from the fine-scale turbulence, are identified. The two similarity spectra appear to be universal spectra for axisymmetric jets. They fit all the measured data including those from subsonic jets. Experimental evidence are presented showing that regardless of whether a jet is supersonic or subsonic the noise characteristics and generation mechanisms are the same. There is large turbulence structures/instability waves noise from subsonic jets. This noise component can be seen prominently inside the cone of silence of the fine-scale turbulence noise near the jet axis. For imperfectly expanded supersonic jets, a shock cell structure is formed inside the jet plume. Measured spectra are provided to demonstrate that the presence of a shock cell structure has little effect on the radiated turbulent mixing noise. The shape of the noise spectrum as well as the noise intensity remain practically the same as those of a fully expanded jet. However, for jets undergoing strong screeching, there is broadband noise amplification for both turbulent mixing noise components. It is discovered through a pilot study of the noise spectrum of rectangular and elliptic supersonic jets that the turbulent mixing noise of these jets is also made up of the same two noise components found in axisymmetric jets. The spectrum of each individual noise component also fits the corresponding similarity spectrum of axisymmetric jets.

Experimental Study of Homogeneous Isotropic Slowly-Decaying Turbulence in Giant Grid-Wind Tunnel Set Up

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aliseda, Alberto; Bourgoin, Mickael; Eswirp Collaboration

2014-11-01

We present preliminary results from a recent grid turbulence experiment conducted at the ONERA wind tunnel in Modane, France. The ESWIRP Collaboration was conceived to probe the smallest scales of a canonical turbulent flow with very high Reynolds numbers. To achieve this, the largest scales of the turbulence need to be extremely big so that, even with the large separation of scales, the smallest scales would be well above the spatial and temporal resolution of the instruments. The ONERA wind tunnel in Modane (8 m -diameter test section) was chosen as a limit of the biggest large scales achievable in a laboratory setting. A giant inflatable grid (M = 0.8 m) was conceived to induce slowly-decaying homogeneous isotropic turbulence in a large region of the test section, with minimal structural risk. An international team or researchers collected hot wire anemometry, ultrasound anemometry, resonant cantilever anemometry, fast pitot tube anemometry, cold wire thermometry and high-speed particle tracking data of this canonical turbulent flow. While analysis of this large database, which will become publicly available over the next 2 years, has only started, the Taylor-scale Reynolds number is estimated to be between 400 and 800, with Kolmogorov scales as large as a few mm . The ESWIRP Collaboration is formed by an international team of scientists to investigate experimentally the smallest scales of turbulence. It was funded by the European Union to take advantage of the largest wind tunnel in Europe for fundamental research.

Direct numerical simulations and spectral modeling of premixed turbulent combustion in the flamelet regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulitsky, Mark

1997-11-01

A model for premixed turbulent combustion in the so called 'flamelet regime' has been developed. This regime, often referred to as the fast chemistry or high Damkohler number regime, is characterized by turbulent length and time scales that are much larger and slower than the flame thickness and reaction time scales respectively. There is currently great interest in trying to better understand flamelet combustion, as many practical devices (i.e., spark ignition engines, gas turbines, etc.) have been found to operate in this regime. Before a model could be developed however, it was first necessary to ascertain which part of the turbulence (either the nearly Gaussian background turbulence or the tube-like coherent vortical structures) was responsible for the multi-scale wrinkling of the flame surface. This question motivated a DNS study of flames passing through both structure containing the structure free isotropic turbulence. After it was determined that the presence of the coherent structures was merely ancillary in terms of increasing the surface area of the flame, a spectral model based on the EDQNM (Eddy Damped Quasi Normal Markovian) theory of turbulence was developed. This theory implicitly assumes that joint distributions of the fluctuating velocity components are nearly Gaussian, and as only spectra are transported in this model, there is no direct information about any of the coherent structures which might be embedded within the flow field. One of the advantages of this model is that both the Reynolds number and the ratio of the rms fluctuating velocity to the laminar flame speed can be varied independently. To test the model's ability to capture the nonlinear dynamics of the governing field equation a DNS study was performed and both steady-state and transient single- and two-point statistics were compared. Finally, the model was compared to two-point experimental measurements taken from a lean premixed methane-air flame.

Inner-outer interactions in the convective atmospheric boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salesky, S.

2017-12-01

Recently, observational and numerical studies have revealed the existence of so-called large scale motions (LSMs) that populate the logarithmic layer of wall-bounded turbulent shear flows and modulate the amplitude and frequency of turbulence dynamics near the ground. Properties of LSMs are well understood in neutrally stratified flows over smooth and rough walls. However, the implications of previous studies for the convective atmospheric boundary layer (CBL) are not entirely clear, since the morphology of both small-scale and large-scale turbulent structures is known to be strongly affected by buoyancy [e.g. Salesky et al., Bound.-Layer Meteorol. 163:41-68 (2017)]. In the present study, inner-outer interactions in the CBL are investigated using a suite of large eddy simulations spanning neutral to highly convective conditions. Simulation results reveal that, as the atmosphere becomes increasingly unstable, the inclination angle of structures near the ground increases from 12-15° to nearly 90°. Furthermore, the scale separation between the inner and outer peaks in the premultiplied velocity spectra decreases until only a single peak remains (comparable in magnitude to the boundary layer depth). The extent to which the amplitude modulation of surface layer turbulence by outer layer structures changes with increasing instability will be considered, following the decoupling procedure proposed by Mathis et al. [J. Fluid Mech., vol 628, 311-337 (2009)]. Frequency modulation of surface layer turbulence also will be examined, following the wavelet analysis approach of Baars et al. [Exp. Fluids, 56:188, (2015)].

The effects of streamwise concave curvature on turbulent boundary layer structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeans, A. H.; Johnston, J. P.

1982-06-01

Concave curvature has a relatively large, unpredictable effect on turbulent boundary layers. Some, but not all previous studies suggest that a large-scale, stationary array of counter-rotating vortices exists within the turbulent boundary layer on a concave wall. The objective of the present study was to obtain a qualitative model of the flow field in order to increase our understanding of the underlying physics. A large free-surface water channel was constructed in order to perform a visual study of the flow. Streamwise components of mean velocity and turbulence intensity were measured using a hot film anemometer. The upstream boundary was spanwise uniform with a momentum thickness to radius of curvature of 0.05. Compared to flat wall flow, large-scale, randomly distributed sweeps and ejections were seen in the boundary layer on the concave wall. The sweeps appear to suppress the normal mechanism for turbulence production near the wall by inhibiting the bursting process. The ejections appear to enhance turbulence production in the outer layers as the low speed fluid convected from regions near the wall interacts with the higher speed fluid farther out. The large-scale structures did not occur at fixed spanwise locations, and could not be called roll cells or vortices.

The H i-to-H{sub 2} Transition in a Turbulent Medium

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bialy, Shmuel; Sternberg, Amiel; Burkhart, Blakesley, E-mail: shmuelbi@mail.tau.ac.il

2017-07-10

We study the effect of density fluctuations induced by turbulence on the H i/H{sub 2} structure in photodissociation regions (PDRs) both analytically and numerically. We perform magnetohydrodynamic numerical simulations for both subsonic and supersonic turbulent gas and chemical H i/H{sub 2} balance calculations. We derive atomic-to-molecular density profiles and the H i column density probability density function (PDF) assuming chemical equilibrium. We find that, while the H i/H{sub 2} density profiles are strongly perturbed in turbulent gas, the mean H i column density is well approximated by the uniform-density analytic formula of Sternberg et al. The PDF width depends onmore » (a) the radiation intensity–to–mean density ratio, (b) the sonic Mach number, and (c) the turbulence decorrelation scale, or driving scale. We derive an analytic model for the H i PDF and demonstrate how our model, combined with 21 cm observations, can be used to constrain the Mach number and driving scale of turbulent gas. As an example, we apply our model to observations of H i in the Perseus molecular cloud. We show that a narrow observed H i PDF may imply small-scale decorrelation, pointing to the potential importance of subcloud-scale turbulence driving.« less

Toward a structural understanding of turbulent drag reduction: nonlinear coherent states in viscoelastic shear flows.

PubMed

Stone, Philip A; Waleffe, Fabian; Graham, Michael D

2002-11-11

Nontrivial steady flows have recently been found that capture the main structures of the turbulent buffer layer. We study the effects of polymer addition on these "exact coherent states" (ECS) in plane Couette flow. Despite the simplicity of the ECS flows, these effects closely mirror those observed experimentally: Structures shift to larger length scales, wall-normal fluctuations are suppressed while streamwise ones are enhanced, and drag is reduced. The mechanism underlying these effects is elucidated. These results suggest that the ECS are closely related to buffer layer turbulence.

Temperature and velocity structure functions in the upper troposhere and lower stratosphere from aircraft measurements (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wroblewski, D. E.; Werne, J.; Cote, O.; Hacker, J.; Dobosy, R.

2010-12-01

High-resolution turbulence measurements of temperature and three components of velocity were acquired from the GROB 520T EGRETT high altitude research aircraft equipped with three NOAA/FRD built BAT probes. The research campaign spanned eight years with the goal of characterizing clear air turbulence (CAT) and optical turbulence (OpT) in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere (UTLS), focusing on scales from 1 meter to 1 km, a range that encompasses three-dimensional phenomena critical to CAT and OpT, but for which a dearth of experimental data exists. This talk will cover structure function analysis from 129 separate level flight segments representing 41 hours of flight time and 12,600 km of flight distance. The scaling behavior for sub 100- meter scales will be discussed, with an emphasis on Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) shear layer development as a phenomenological model for this scale range. Comparisons with micro-scale, direct numerical simulations of KH billows will be presented.

Spatial Correlation of Solar-Wind Turbulence from Two-Point Measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Matthaeus, W. H.; Milano, L. J.; Dasso, S.; Weygand, J. M.; Smith, C. W.; Kivelson, M. G.

2005-01-01

Interplanetary turbulence, the best studied case of low frequency plasma turbulence, is the only directly quantified instance of astrophysical turbulence. Here, magnetic field correlation analysis, using for the first time only proper two-point, single time measurements, provides a key step in unraveling the space-time structure of interplanetary turbulence. Simultaneous magnetic field data from the Wind, ACE, and Cluster spacecraft are analyzed to determine the correlation (outer) scale, and the Taylor microscale near Earth's orbit.

Anisotropic Stochastic Vortex Structure Method for Simulating Particle Collision in Turbulent Shear Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dizaji, Farzad; Marshall, Jeffrey; Grant, John; Jin, Xing

2017-11-01

Accounting for the effect of subgrid-scale turbulence on interacting particles remains a challenge when using Reynolds-Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) or Large Eddy Simulation (LES) approaches for simulation of turbulent particulate flows. The standard stochastic Lagrangian method for introducing turbulence into particulate flow computations is not effective when the particles interact via collisions, contact electrification, etc., since this method is not intended to accurately model relative motion between particles. We have recently developed the stochastic vortex structure (SVS) method and demonstrated its use for accurate simulation of particle collision in homogeneous turbulence; the current work presents an extension of the SVS method to turbulent shear flows. The SVS method simulates subgrid-scale turbulence using a set of randomly-positioned, finite-length vortices to generate a synthetic fluctuating velocity field. It has been shown to accurately reproduce the turbulence inertial-range spectrum and the probability density functions for the velocity and acceleration fields. In order to extend SVS to turbulent shear flows, a new inversion method has been developed to orient the vortices in order to generate a specified Reynolds stress field. The extended SVS method is validated in the present study with comparison to direct numerical simulations for a planar turbulent jet flow. This research was supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Grant CBET-1332472.

Arbitrary-order Hilbert Spectral Analysis and Intermittency in Solar Wind Density Fluctuations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carbone, Francesco; Sorriso-Valvo, Luca; Alberti, Tommaso; Lepreti, Fabio; Chen, Christopher H. K.; Němeček, Zdenek; Šafránková, Jana

2018-05-01

The properties of inertial- and kinetic-range solar wind turbulence have been investigated with the arbitrary-order Hilbert spectral analysis method, applied to high-resolution density measurements. Due to the small sample size and to the presence of strong nonstationary behavior and large-scale structures, the classical analysis in terms of structure functions may prove to be unsuccessful in detecting the power-law behavior in the inertial range, and may underestimate the scaling exponents. However, the Hilbert spectral method provides an optimal estimation of the scaling exponents, which have been found to be close to those for velocity fluctuations in fully developed hydrodynamic turbulence. At smaller scales, below the proton gyroscale, the system loses its intermittent multiscaling properties and converges to a monofractal process. The resulting scaling exponents, obtained at small scales, are in good agreement with those of classical fractional Brownian motion, indicating a long-term memory in the process, and the absence of correlations around the spectral-break scale. These results provide important constraints on models of kinetic-range turbulence in the solar wind.

Visualization of the structural response of a hypersonic turbulent boundary layer to convex curvature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Humble, R. A.; Peltier, S. J.; Bowersox, R. D. W.

2012-10-01

The effects of convex curvature on the outer structure of a Mach 4.9 turbulent boundary layer (Reθ = 4.7 × 104) are investigated using condensate Rayleigh scattering and analyzed using spatial correlations, intermittency, and fractal theory. It is found that the post-expansion boundary layer structure morphology appears subtle, but certain features exhibit a more obvious response. The large-scale flow structures survive the initial expansion, appearing to maintain the same physical size. However, due to the nature of the expansion fan, a differential acceleration effect takes place across the flow structures, causing them to be reoriented, leaning farther away from the wall. The onset of intermittency moves closer towards the boundary layer edge and the region of intermittent flow decreases. It is likely that this reflects the less frequent penetration of outer irrotational fluid into the boundary layer, consistent with a boundary layer that is losing its ability to entrain freestream fluid. The fractal dimension of the turbulent/nonturbulent interface decreases with increasing favorable pressure gradient, indicating that the interface's irregularity decreases. Because fractal scale similarity does not encompass the largest scales, this suggests that the change in fractal dimension is due to the action of the smaller-scales, consistent with the idea that the small-scale flow structures are quenched during the expansion in response to bulk dilatation.

Characterizing the Severe Turbulence Environments Associated With Commercial Aviation Accidents. Part 1; 44 Case Study Synoptic Observational Analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaplan, Michael L.; Huffman, Allan W.; Lux, Kevin M.; Charney, Joseph J.; Riordan, Allan J.; Lin, Yuh-Lang; Proctor, Fred H. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

A 44 case study analysis of the large-scale atmospheric structure associated with development of accident-producing aircraft turbulence is described. Categorization is a function of the accident location, altitude, time of year, time of day, and the turbulence category, which classifies disturbances. National Centers for Environmental Prediction Reanalyses data sets and satellite imagery are employed to diagnose synoptic scale predictor fields associated with the large-scale environment preceding severe turbulence. These analyses indicate a predominance of severe accident-producing turbulence within the entrance region of a jet stream at the synoptic scale. Typically, a flow curvature region is just upstream within the jet entrance region, convection is within 100 km of the accident, vertical motion is upward, absolute vorticity is low, vertical wind shear is increasing, and horizontal cold advection is substantial. The most consistent predictor is upstream flow curvature and nearby convection is the second most frequent predictor.

FAST MAGNETIC FIELD AMPLIFICATION IN THE EARLY UNIVERSE: GROWTH OF COLLISIONLESS PLASMA INSTABILITIES IN TURBULENT MEDIA

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Falceta-Gonçalves, D.; Kowal, G.

2015-07-20

In this work we report on a numerical study of the cosmic magnetic field amplification due to collisionless plasma instabilities. The collisionless magnetohydrodynamic equations derived account for the pressure anisotropy that leads, in specific conditions, to the firehose and mirror instabilities. We study the time evolution of seed fields in turbulence under the influence of such instabilities. An approximate analytical time evolution of the magnetic field is provided. The numerical simulations and the analytical predictions are compared. We found that (i) amplification of the magnetic field was efficient in firehose-unstable turbulent regimes, but not in the mirror-unstable models; (ii) the growthmore » rate of the magnetic energy density is much faster than the turbulent dynamo; and (iii) the efficient amplification occurs at small scales. The analytical prediction for the correlation between the growth timescales and pressure anisotropy is confirmed by the numerical simulations. These results reinforce the idea that pressure anisotropies—driven naturally in a turbulent collisionless medium, e.g., the intergalactic medium, could efficiently amplify the magnetic field in the early universe (post-recombination era), previous to the collapse of the first large-scale gravitational structures. This mechanism, though fast for the small-scale fields (∼kpc scales), is unable to provide relatively strong magnetic fields at large scales. Other mechanisms that were not accounted for here (e.g., collisional turbulence once instabilities are quenched, velocity shear, or gravitationally induced inflows of gas into galaxies and clusters) could operate afterward to build up large-scale coherent field structures in the long time evolution.« less

Effect of double layers on magnetosphere-ionosphere coupling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lysak, Robert L.; Hudson, Mary K.

1987-01-01

The dynamic aspects of auroral current structures are reviewed with emphasis on consequences for models of microscopic turbulence (MT). A number of models of MT are introduced into a large-scale model of Alfven wave propagation to determine the effect of various models on the overall structure of auroral currents. The effect of a double layer (DL) electric field which scales with the plasma temperature and the Debye length is compared with the effect of anomalous resistivity due to electrostatic ion cyclotron turbulence in which the electric field scales with the magnetic field strength. It is shown that the DL model is less diffusive than the resistive model, indicating the possibility of narrow intense current structures.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fang, Ming; Albrecht, Bruce A.; Ghate, Virendra P.

This study first illustrates the utility of using the Doppler spectrum width from millimetrewavelength radar to calculate the energy dissipation rate and then to use the energy dissipation rate to study turbulence structure in a continental stratocumulus cloud. It is shown that the turbulence kinetic energy dissipation rate calculated from the radar-measured Doppler spectrum width agrees well with that calculated from the Doppler velocity power spectrum. During the 16-h stratocumulus cloud event, the small-scale turbulence contributes 40%of the total velocity variance at cloud base, 50% at normalized cloud depth=0.8 and 70% at cloud top, which suggests that small-scale turbulence playsmore » a critical role near the cloud top where the entrainment and cloud-top radiative cooling act. The 16-h mean vertical integral length scale decreases from about 160 m at cloud base to 60 m at cloud top, and this signifies that the larger scale turbulence dominates around cloud base whereas the small-scale turbulence dominates around cloud top. The energy dissipation rate, total variance and squared spectrum width exhibit diurnal variations, but unlike marine stratocumulus they are high during the day and lowest around sunset at all levels; energy dissipation rates increase at night with the intensification of the cloud-top cooling. In the normalized coordinate system, the averaged coherent structure of updrafts is characterized by low energy dissipation rates in the updraft core and higher energy dissipation rates surround the updraft core at the top and along the edges. In contrast, the energy dissipation rate is higher inside the downdraft core indicating that the downdraft core is more turbulent. The turbulence around the updraft is weaker at night and stronger during the day; the opposite is true around the downdraft. This behaviour indicates that the turbulence in the downdraft has a diurnal cycle similar to that observed in marine stratocumuluswhereas the turbulence diurnal cycle in the updraft is reversed. For both updraft and downdraft, the maximum energy dissipation rate occurs at a cloud depth=0.8 where the maximum reflectivity and air acceleration or deceleration are observed. Resolved turbulence dominates near cloud base whereas unresolved turbulence dominates near cloud top. Similar to the unresolved turbulence, the resolved turbulence described by the radial velocity variance is higher in the downdraft than in the updraft. The impact of the surface heating on the resolved turbulence in the updraft decreases with height and diminishes around the cloud top. In both updrafts and downdrafts, the resolved turbulence increases with height and reaches a maximum at cloud depth=0.4 and then decreases to the cloud top; the resolved turbulence near cloud top, just as the unresolved turbulence, is mostly due to the cloud-top radiative cooling.« less

A gyrofluid description of Alfvenic turbulence and its parallel electric field

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bian, N. H.; Kontar, E. P.

2010-06-15

Anisotropic Alfvenic fluctuations with k{sub ||}/k{sub perpendicular}<<1 remain at frequencies much smaller than the ion cyclotron frequency in the presence of a strong background magnetic field. Based on the simplest truncation of the electromagnetic gyrofluid equations in a homogeneous plasma, a model for the energy cascade produced by Alfvenic turbulence is constructed, which smoothly connects the large magnetohydrodynamics scales and the small 'kinetic' scales. Scaling relations are obtained for the electromagnetic fluctuations, as a function of k{sub perpendicular} and k{sub ||}. Moreover, a particular attention is paid to the spectral structure of the parallel electric field which is produced bymore » Alfvenic turbulence. The reason is the potential implication of this parallel electric field in turbulent acceleration and transport of particles. For electromagnetic turbulence, this issue was raised some time ago in Hasegawa and Mima [J. Geophys. Res. 83, 1117 (1978)].« less

Multifractal scaling of the kinetic energy flux in solar wind turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marsch, E.; Rosenbauer, H.; Tu, C.-Y.

1995-01-01

The geometrical and scaling properties of the energy flux of the turbulent kinetic energy in the solar wind have been studied. By present experimental technology in solar wind measurements, we cannot directly measure the real volumetric dissipation rate, epsilon(t), but are constrained to represent it by surrogating the energy flux near the dissipation range at the proton gyro scales. There is evidence for the multifractal nature of the so defined dissipation field epsilon(t), a result derived from the scaling exponents of its statistical q-th order moments. The related generalized dimension D(q) has been determined and reveals that the dissipation field has a multifractal structure. which is not compatible with a scale-invariant cascade. The associated multifractal spectrum f(alpha) has been estimated for the first time for MHD turbulence in the solar wind. Its features resemble those obtained for turbulent fluids and other nonlinear multifractal systems. The generalized dimension D(q) can, for turbulence in high-speed streams, be fitted well by the functional dependence of the p-model with a comparatively large parameter, p = 0.87. indicating a strongly intermittent multifractal energy cascade. The experimental value for D(p)/3, if used in the scaling exponent s(p) of the velocity structure function, gives an exponent that can describe some of the observations. The scaling exponent mu of the auto correlation function of epsilon(t) has also been directly evaluated. It has the value of 0.37. Finally. the mean dissipation rate was determined, which could be used in solar wind heating models.

Turbulent structures in wall-bounded shear flows observed via three-dimensional numerical simulators. [using the Illiac 4 computer

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leonard, A.

1980-01-01

Three recent simulations of tubulent shear flow bounded by a wall using the Illiac computer are reported. These are: (1) vibrating-ribbon experiments; (2) study of the evolution of a spot-like disturbance in a laminar boundary layer; and (3) investigation of turbulent channel flow. A number of persistent flow structures were observed, including streamwise and vertical vorticity distributions near the wall, low-speed and high-speed streaks, and local regions of intense vertical velocity. The role of these structures in, for example, the growth or maintenance of turbulence is discussed. The problem of representing the large range of turbulent scales in a computer simulation is also discussed.

Sound production due to large-scale coherent structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gatski, T. B.

1979-01-01

The acoustic pressure fluctuations due to large-scale finite amplitude disturbances in a free turbulent shear flow are calculated. The flow is decomposed into three component scales; the mean motion, the large-scale wave-like disturbance, and the small-scale random turbulence. The effect of the large-scale structure on the flow is isolated by applying both a spatial and phase average on the governing differential equations and by initially taking the small-scale turbulence to be in energetic equilibrium with the mean flow. The subsequent temporal evolution of the flow is computed from global energetic rate equations for the different component scales. Lighthill's theory is then applied to the region with the flowfield as the source and an observer located outside the flowfield in a region of uniform velocity. Since the time history of all flow variables is known, a minimum of simplifying assumptions for the Lighthill stress tensor is required, including no far-field approximations. A phase average is used to isolate the pressure fluctuations due to the large-scale structure, and also to isolate the dynamic process responsible. Variation of mean square pressure with distance from the source is computed to determine the acoustic far-field location and decay rate, and, in addition, spectra at various acoustic field locations are computed and analyzed. Also included are the effects of varying the growth and decay of the large-scale disturbance on the sound produced.

Effect of shock waves on the statistics and scaling in compressible isotropic turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jianchun; Wan, Minping; Chen, Song; Xie, Chenyue; Chen, Shiyi

2018-04-01

The statistics and scaling of compressible isotropic turbulence in the presence of large-scale shock waves are investigated by using numerical simulations at turbulent Mach number Mt ranging from 0.30 to 0.65. The spectra of the compressible velocity component, density, pressure, and temperature exhibit a k-2 scaling at different turbulent Mach numbers. The scaling exponents for structure functions of the compressible velocity component and thermodynamic variables are close to 1 at high orders n ≥3 . The probability density functions of increments of the compressible velocity component and thermodynamic variables exhibit a power-law region with the exponent -2 . Models for the conditional average of increments of the compressible velocity component and thermodynamic variables are developed based on the ideal shock relations and are verified by numerical simulations. The overall statistics of the compressible velocity component and thermodynamic variables are similar to one another at different turbulent Mach numbers. It is shown that the effect of shock waves on the compressible velocity spectrum and kinetic energy transfer is different from that of acoustic waves.

Magnetosheath plasma turbulence and its spatiotemporal evolution as observed by the cluster spacecraft.

PubMed

Yordanova, E; Vaivads, A; André, M; Buchert, S C; Vörös, Z

2008-05-23

We study the plasma turbulence, at scales larger than the ion inertial length scale, downstream of a quasiparallel bow shock using Cluster multispacecraft measurements. We show that turbulence is intermittent and well described by the extended structure function model, which takes into account the spatial inhomogeneity of the cascade rate. For the first time we use multispacecraft observations to characterize the evolution of magnetosheath turbulence, particularly its intermittency, as a function of the distance from the bow shock. The intermittency significantly changes over the distance of the order of 100 ion inertial lengths, being increasingly stronger and anisotropic away from the bow shock.

Generating and controlling homogeneous air turbulence using random jet arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, Douglas; Petersen, Alec; Amili, Omid; Coletti, Filippo

2016-12-01

The use of random jet arrays, already employed in water tank facilities to generate zero-mean-flow homogeneous turbulence, is extended to air as a working fluid. A novel facility is introduced that uses two facing arrays of individually controlled jets (256 in total) to force steady homogeneous turbulence with negligible mean flow, shear, and strain. Quasi-synthetic jet pumps are created by expanding pressurized air through small straight nozzles and are actuated by fast-response low-voltage solenoid valves. Velocity fields, two-point correlations, energy spectra, and second-order structure functions are obtained from 2D PIV and are used to characterize the turbulence from the integral-to-the Kolmogorov scales. Several metrics are defined to quantify how well zero-mean-flow homogeneous turbulence is approximated for a wide range of forcing and geometric parameters. With increasing jet firing time duration, both the velocity fluctuations and the integral length scales are augmented and therefore the Reynolds number is increased. We reach a Taylor-microscale Reynolds number of 470, a large-scale Reynolds number of 74,000, and an integral-to-Kolmogorov length scale ratio of 680. The volume of the present homogeneous turbulence, the largest reported to date in a zero-mean-flow facility, is much larger than the integral length scale, allowing for the natural development of the energy cascade. The turbulence is found to be anisotropic irrespective of the distance between the jet arrays. Fine grids placed in front of the jets are effective at modulating the turbulence, reducing both velocity fluctuations and integral scales. Varying the jet-to-jet spacing within each array has no effect on the integral length scale, suggesting that this is dictated by the length scale of the jets.

Scaling functions and scaling exponents in turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stolovitzky, G.; Sreenivasan, K. R.; Juneja, A.

1993-11-01

We extend the recent work of Sirovich, Smith, and Yakhot (unpublished) and obtain for structure functions of arbitrary order an expression that is uniformly valid for the dissipation as well as the inertial range of scales. We compare the expression with experimental data obtained in a moderate-Reynolds-number turbulent boundary layer and find good agreement. This enables a more definitive determination of the scaling exponents and intermittency corrections than has been possible in the past. The results are substantiated by several consistency checks.

Inverse and Direct Energy Cascades in Three-Dimensional Magnetohydrodynamic Turbulence at Low Magnetic Reynolds Number

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baker, Nathaniel T.; Pothérat, Alban; Davoust, Laurent; Debray, François

2018-06-01

This experimental study analyzes the relationship between the dimensionality of turbulence and the upscale or downscale nature of its energy transfers. We do so by forcing low-R m magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in a confined channel, while precisely controlling its dimensionality by means of an externally applied magnetic field. We first identify a specific length scale l^⊥ c that separates smaller 3D structures from larger quasi-2D ones. We then show that an inverse energy cascade of horizontal kinetic energy along horizontal scales is always observable at large scales, and that it extends well into the region of 3D structures. At the same time, a direct energy cascade confined to the smallest and strongly 3D scales is observed. These dynamics therefore appear not to be simply determined by the dimensionality of individual scales, nor by the forcing scale, unlike in other studies. In fact, our findings suggest that the relationship between kinematics and dynamics is not universal and may strongly depend on the forcing and dissipating mechanisms at play.

An experimental study of combustion: The turbulent structure of a reacting shear layer formed at a rearward-facing step. Ph.D. Thesis. Final Report

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pitz, R. W.

1981-01-01

A premixed propane-air flame is stabilized in a turbulent free shear layer formed at a rearward-facing step. The mean and rms averages of the turbulent velocity flow field were determined by LDV for both reacting and non-reacting flows. The reaching flow was visualized by high speed schlieren photography. Large scale structures dominate the reacting shear layer. The growth of the large scale structures is tied to the propagation of the flame. The linear growth rate of the reacting shear layer defined by the mean velocity profiles is unchanged by combustion but the virtual origin is shifted downstream. The reacting shear layer based on the mean velocity profiles is shifted toward the recirculation zone and the reattachments lengths are shortened by 30%.

Investigation of Outer Length Scale In Optical Turbulence

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-12-01

experimental situations. This thesis investigated three outer scales of turbulence using experimental data from two instruments: microthermal probes...represents the size of the velocity fluctuations and the boundary thermal convective cell size. The microthermal balloon data had excessive scatter...optical structure parameter C than the microthermal balloon data. The separation of daytime convective thermal plumes was found from the acoustic

Effect of Finite Computational Domain on Turbulence Scaling Law in Both Physical and Spectral Spaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hou, Thomas Y.; Wu, Xiao-Hui; Chen, Shiyi; Zhou, Ye

1998-01-01

The well-known translation between the power law of energy spectrum and that of the correlation function or the second order structure function has been widely used in analyzing random data. Here, we show that the translation is valid only in proper scaling regimes. The regimes of valid translation are different for the correlation function and the structure function. Indeed, they do not overlap. Furthermore, in practice, the power laws exist only for a finite range of scales. We show that this finite range makes the translation inexact even in the proper scaling regime. The error depends on the scaling exponent. The current findings are applicable to data analysis in fluid turbulence and other stochastic systems.

Intermittency in Complex Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben Mahjoub, Otman; Redondo, Jose M.

2017-04-01

Experimental results of the complex turbulent wake of a cilinder in 2D [1] and 3D flows [2] were used to investigate the scaling of structure functions, similar research was also performed on wave propagation and breaking in the Ocean [3], in the the stratified Atmosphere (ABL) [4] and in a 100large flume (UPC) for both regular and irregular waves, where long time series of waves propagating and generating breaking turbulence velocity rms and higher order measurements were taken in depth. [3,5] by means of a velocimeter SONTEK3-D. The probability distribution functions of the velocity differences and their non Gaussian distribution related to the energy spectrum indicate that irregularity is an important source of turbulence. From Kolmogorov's K41 and K61 intermittency correction: the p th-order longitudinal velocity structure function δul at scale l in the inertial range of three-dimensional fully developed turbulence is related by ⟨δup⟩ = ⟨(u(x+ l)- u(x))p⟩ ˜ ɛp0/3lp/3 l where ⟨...⟩ represents the spatial average over flow domain, with ɛ0 the mean energy dissipation per unit mass and l is the separation distance. The importance of the random nature of the energy dissipation led to the K62 theory of intermittency, but locality and non-homogeneity are key issues. p p/3 p/3 ξd ⟨δul⟩ ˜ ⟨ɛl ⟩l ˜ l and ξp = p 3 + τp/3 , where now ɛl is a fractal energy dissipation at scale l, τp/3 is the scaling of < ɛℓp/3 > and ξp is the scaling exponent of the velocity structure function of order p. Both in K41 and K62, the structure functions of third order related to skewness is ξ3 = 1. But this is not true either. We show that scaling exponents ξp do deviate from early studies that only investigated homogeneous turbulence, where a large inertial range dominates. The use of multi-fractal analysis and improvements on Structure function calculations on standard Enhanced mixing is an essential property of turbulence and efforts to alter and to control turbulent mixing is a subject of great importance because it has a broad range of practical applications. In the chemical industry in particular mixing is desirable to facilitate fast mixing of reactants coupled with PIV, and on other methods used in experimental fluids mechanics, both in Eulerian and Lagrangian frameworks towards the understanding of molecular mixing and the role of vorticity and helicity in the analysis of stream function parameter oundaries of spatial dynamic features. Already we used multi-fractal analysis techniques and apply these techniques to understand the scale to scale transport related to mixing and the velocity structure function,used by [1, 2] in the form ⟨| δul |p⟩ ∝ ⟨| δul |s⟩ζp/ζs where ζp/ζs is a general relative scaling exponent that can be expressed as dlog⟨| δul |p⟩ ζp/ζs = -----s- dlog⟨| δul | ⟩ In these relations ζp can be different from ξp for odd values of p because absolute values of velocity increments are used. Clearly, the scale-invariance for relative exponents when ζp and ζs are scale-dependent cannot be easily interpreted. We estimate different intermittency parameters as a function of local instability e.g. Kelvin/Helmholtz, Rayleigh-Taylor or Holbmoe. Different scalar interfaces show different structures, that also depend on local Richardsons numbers, this may be due to different levels of intermittency and thus different spectra, which are not necessarily inertial nor in equilibrium. the analysis of the statistical properties of the velocity structure function is performed using a relative scaling. In the areas of breaking-induced turbulence and foam, which corespond to active, highly intermittent, turbulent regions, using(ESS), we define local intermittency at different depths and horizontal positions. The deviation from the -5/3 law for the power spectra at certain positions is clear, (PDF) of velocity differences highly deviate from a gaussian distribution, and depend on the depth or with downstream distance for intermediate Reynolds numbers. [1] A. Babiano, B. Dubrulle. and P. Frick; Phys. Rev. E. 55(3): 2693-2706 (1997). [2] E. Gaudin, B. Protas, S. Goujon-Durand, J. Wojciechowski, J. E. Wesfreid; Phys. Rev. E. 57, 9-12 (1998). [3] O. B. Mahjoub; Non-local dynamics and intermittency in non-homogeneous flows. PhD Thesis UPC Barcelona Tech. 139 p.(2000) [4] Vindel J.M. Yague C and Redondo J.M.; Relationship between intermittency and stratification. Il. Nuovo Cimento 31, C. 669-678. (2008). [5] J.M. Redondo; Mixing efficiencies of different kinds of turbulent processes and instabilities, Applications to the environment, Turbulent mixing in geophysical flows. Eds. Linden P.F. and Redondo J.M. 131-157. (2001). [6] J.M. Redondo; Turbulent mixing in the Atmosphere and Ocean ,Fluid Physics. 5: 584-597. World Scientific. New York. (1994). [7] O. B. Mahjoub, J. M. Redondo and A. Babiano; Applied Scientific R8search, 59, 299-313 (1998). [8] O. B. Mahjoub, J. M. Redondo and A. Babiano; Self simmilarity and intermittency in a turbulent non-homogeneous wake. Ed. C. Dopazo et al. Advances in Turbulence VIII. 783-786. (2000)

Reynolds number scaling of straining motions in turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elsinga, Gerrit; Ishihara, T.; Goudar, M. V.; da Silva, C. B.; Hunt, J. C. R.

2017-11-01

Strain is an important fluid motion in turbulence as it is associated with the kinetic energy dissipation rate, vorticity stretching, and the dispersion of passive scalars. The present study investigates the scaling of the turbulent straining motions by evaluating the flow in the eigenframe of the local strain-rate tensor. The analysis is based on DNS of homogeneous isotropic turbulence covering a Reynolds number range Reλ = 34.6 - 1131. The resulting flow pattern reveals a shear layer containing tube-like vortices and a dissipation sheet, which both scale on the Kolmogorov length scale, η. The vorticity stretching motions scale on the Taylor length scale, while the flow outside the shear layer scales on the integral length scale. These scaling results are consistent with those in wall-bounded flow, which suggests a quantitative universality between the different flows. The overall coherence length of the vorticity is 120 η in all directions, which is considerably larger than the typical size of individual vortices, and reflects the importance of spatial organization at the small scales. Transitions in flow structure are identified at Reλ 45 and 250. Below these respective Reynolds numbers, the small-scale motions and the vorticity stretching motions appear underdeveloped.

Fine Structures of Solar Radio Type III Bursts and Their Possible Relationship with Coronal Density Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xingyao; Kontar, Eduard P.; Yu, Sijie; Yan, Yihua; Huang, Jing; Tan, Baolin

2018-03-01

Solar radio type III bursts are believed to be the most sensitive signatures of near-relativistic electron beam propagation in the corona. A solar radio type IIIb-III pair burst with fine frequency structures, observed by the Low Frequency Array (LOFAR) with high temporal (∼10 ms) and spectral (12.5 kHz) resolutions at 30–80 MHz, is presented. The observations show that the type III burst consists of many striae, which have a frequency scale of about 0.1 MHz in both the fundamental (plasma) and the harmonic (double plasma) emission. We investigate the effects of background density fluctuations based on the observation of striae structure to estimate the density perturbation in the solar corona. It is found that the spectral index of the density fluctuation spectrum is about ‑1.7, and the characteristic spatial scale of the density perturbation is around 700 km. This spectral index is very close to a Kolmogorov turbulence spectral index of ‑5/3, consistent with a turbulent cascade. This fact indicates that the coronal turbulence may play the important role of modulating the time structures of solar radio type III bursts, and the fine structure of radio type III bursts could provide a useful and unique tool to diagnose the turbulence in the solar corona.

COSMIC-RAY SMALL-SCALE ANISOTROPIES AND LOCAL TURBULENT MAGNETIC FIELDS

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

López-Barquero, V.; Farber, R.; Xu, S.

2016-10-10

Cosmic-ray anisotropy has been observed in a wide energy range and at different angular scales by a variety of experiments over the past decade. However, no comprehensive or satisfactory explanation has been put forth to date. The arrival distribution of cosmic rays at Earth is the convolution of the distribution of their sources and of the effects of geometry and properties of the magnetic field through which particles propagate. It is generally believed that the anisotropy topology at the largest angular scale is adiabatically shaped by diffusion in the structured interstellar magnetic field. On the contrary, the medium- and small-scalemore » angular structure could be an effect of nondiffusive propagation of cosmic rays in perturbed magnetic fields. In particular, a possible explanation for the observed small-scale anisotropy observed at the TeV energy scale may be the effect of particle propagation in turbulent magnetized plasmas. We perform numerical integration of test particle trajectories in low- β compressible magnetohydrodynamic turbulence to study how the cosmic rays’ arrival direction distribution is perturbed when they stream along the local turbulent magnetic field. We utilize Liouville’s theorem for obtaining the anisotropy at Earth and provide the theoretical framework for the application of the theorem in the specific case of cosmic-ray arrival distribution. In this work, we discuss the effects on the anisotropy arising from propagation in this inhomogeneous and turbulent interstellar magnetic field.« less

Universal Profile of the Vortex Condensate in Two-Dimensional Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Laurie, Jason; Boffetta, Guido; Falkovich, Gregory; Kolokolov, Igor; Lebedev, Vladimir

2014-12-01

An inverse turbulent cascade in a restricted two-dimensional periodic domain creates a condensate—a pair of coherent system-size vortices. We perform extensive numerical simulations of this system and carry out theoretical analysis based on momentum and energy exchanges between the turbulence and the vortices. We show that the vortices have a universal internal structure independent of the type of small-scale dissipation, small-scale forcing, and boundary conditions. The theory predicts not only the vortex inner region profile, but also the amplitude, which both perfectly agree with the numerical data.

Not Fully Developed Turbulence in the Dow Jones Index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trincado, Estrella; Vindel, Jose María

2013-08-01

The shape of the curves relating the scaling exponents of the structure functions to the order of these functions is shown to distinguish the Dow Jones index from other stock market indices. We conclude from the shape differences that the information-loss rate for the Dow Jones index is reduced at smaller time scales, while it grows for other indices. This anomaly is due to the construction of the index, in particular to its dependence on a single market parameter: price. Prices are subject to turbulence bursts, which act against full development of turbulence.

Scaling laws in magnetized plasma turbulence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boldyrev, Stanislav

2015-06-28

Interactions of plasma motion with magnetic fields occur in nature and in the laboratory in an impressively broad range of scales, from megaparsecs in astrophysical systems to centimeters in fusion devices. The fact that such an enormous array of phenomena can be effectively studied lies in the existence of fundamental scaling laws in plasma turbulence, which allow one to scale the results of analytic and numerical modeling to the sized of galaxies, velocities of supernovae explosions, or magnetic fields in fusion devices. Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) provides the simplest framework for describing magnetic plasma turbulence. Recently, a number of new features ofmore » MHD turbulence have been discovered and an impressive array of thought-provoking phenomenological theories have been put forward. However, these theories have conflicting predictions, and the currently available numerical simulations are not able to resolve the contradictions. MHD turbulence exhibits a variety of regimes unusual in regular hydrodynamic turbulence. Depending on the strength of the guide magnetic field it can be dominated by weakly interacting Alfv\\'en waves or strongly interacting wave packets. At small scales such turbulence is locally anisotropic and imbalanced (cross-helical). In a stark contrast with hydrodynamic turbulence, which tends to ``forget'' global constrains and become uniform and isotropic at small scales, MHD turbulence becomes progressively more anisotropic and unbalanced at small scales. Magnetic field plays a fundamental role in turbulent dynamics. Even when such a field is not imposed by external sources, it is self-consistently generated by the magnetic dynamo action. This project aims at a comprehensive study of universal regimes of magnetic plasma turbulence, combining the modern analytic approaches with the state of the art numerical simulations. The proposed study focuses on the three topics: weak MHD turbulence, which is relevant for laboratory devices, the solar wind, solar corona heating, and planetary magnetospheres; strong MHD turbulence, which is relevant for fusion devices, star formation, cosmic rays acceleration, scattering and trapping in galaxies, as well as many aspects of dynamics, distribution and composition of space plasmas, and the process of magnetic dynamo action, which explains the generation and the structure of magnetic fields in turbulent plasmas. The planned work will aim at developing new analytic approaches, conducting new numerical simulations with currently unmatched resolution, and training students in the methods of the modern theory of plasma turbulence. The work will be performed at the University of Wisconsin--Madison.« less

The Effects of Land Surface Heating And Roughness Elements on the Structure and Scaling Laws of Atmospheric Boundary Layer Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghannam, Khaled

The atmospheric boundary-layer is the lowest 500-2000 m of the Earth's atmosphere where much of human life and ecosystem services reside. This layer responds to land surface (e.g. buoyancy and roughness elements) and slowly evolving free tropospheric (e.g. temperature and humidity lapse rates) conditions that arguably mediate and modulate biosphere-atmosphere interactions. Such response often results in spatially- and temporally-rich turbulence scales that continue to be the subject of inquiry given their significance to a plethora of applications in environmental sciences and engineering. The work here addresses key aspects of boundary layer turbulence with a focus on the role of roughness elements (vegetation canopies) and buoyancy (surface heating) in modifying the well-studied picture of shear-dominated wall-bounded turbulence. A combination of laboratory channel experiments, field experiments, and numerical simulations are used to explore three distinct aspects of boundary layer turbulence. These are: • The concept of ergodicity in turbulence statistics within canopies: It has been long-recognized that homogeneous and stationary turbulence is ergodic, but less is known about the effects of inhomogeneity introduced by the presence of canopies on the turbulence statistics. A high resolution (temporal and spatial) flume experiment is used here to test the convergence of the time statistics of turbulent scalar concentrations to their ensemble (spatio-temporal) counterpart. The findings indicate that within-canopy scalar statistics have a tendency to be ergodic, mostly in shallow layers (close to canopy top) where the sweeping flow events appear to randomize the statistics. Deeper layers within the canopy are dominated by low-dimensional (quasi-deterministic) von Karman vortices that tend to break ergodicity. • Scaling laws of turbulent velocity spectra and structure functions in near-surface atmospheric turbulence: the existence of a logarithmic scaling in the structure function of the longitudinal and vertical velocity components is examined using five experimental data sets that span the roughness sub-layer above vegetation canopies, the atmospheric surface-layer above a lake and a grass field, and an open channel experiment. The results indicate that close to the wall/surface, this scaling exists in the longitudinal velocity structure function only, with the vertical velocity counterpart exhibiting a much narrower extent of this range due to smaller separation of scales. Phenomenological aspects of the large-scale eddies show that the length scale formed by the friction velocity and energy dissipation acts as a dominant similarity length scale in collapsing experimental data at different heights, mainly due to the imbalance between local production and dissipation of turbulence kinetic energy. • Nonlocal heat transport in the convective atmospheric boundary-layer: Failure of the mean gradient-diffusion (K-theory) in the convective boundary-layer is explored. Using large eddy simulation runs for the atmospheric boundary layer spanning weakly to strongly convective conditions, a generic diagnostic framework that encodes the role of third-order moments in nonlocal heat transport is developed and tested. The premise is that these nonlocal effects are responsible for the inherent asymmetry in vertical transport, and hence the necessary non-Gaussian nature of the joint probability density function (JPDF) of vertical velocity and potential temperature must account for these effects. Conditional sampling (quadrant analysis) of this function and the imbalance between the flow mechanisms of ejections and sweeps are used to characterize this asymmetry, which is then linked to the third-order moments using a cumulant-discard method for the Gram-Charlier expansion of the JPDF. The connection between the ejection-sweep events and the third-order moments shows that the concepts of bottom-up/top-down diffusion, or updraft/downdraft models, are accounted for by various quadrants of this joint probability density function. To this end, future research directions that build upon this work are also discussed.

Estimation of turbulence characteristics of the low-level eyewall and outer-core regions in intense Hurricanes Allen (1980) and Hugo (1989)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, J. A.; Marks, F. D.; Montgomery, M.; Lorsolo, S.

2010-12-01

Turbulent transport processes in the atmospheric boundary layer play an important role in the intensification and maintenance of a hurricane vortex. However, direct measurement of turbulence in the hurricane boundary layer has been scarce. This study analyzes the flight-level data collected by research aircraft that penetrated the eyewalls of Category 5 Hurricane Hugo (1989) and Category 4 Hurricane Allen (1980) between 1 km and the sea surface. Momentum flux, turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and vertical eddy diffusivity are estimated before and during the eyewall penetrations. Spatial scales of turbulent eddies are determined through spectral analysis. The turbulence parameters estimated for the eyewall penetration leg are found to be nearly an order of magnitude larger than those for the leg outside the eyewall at similar altitudes. In the low-level intense eyewall region, the horizontal length scale of dominant turbulent eddies is found to be between 500 - 3000 m and the corresponding vertical length scale is approximately 100 - 200 m. The results suggest also that it is unwise to include the eyewall vorticity maximum (EVM) in the turbulence parameter estimation, since the EVMs are likely to be quasi two-dimensional vortex structures that are embedded within the three dimensional turbulence on the inside edge of the eyewall.

Scale-invariant cascades in turbulence and evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guttenberg, Nicholas Ryan

In this dissertation, I present work addressing three systems which are traditionally considered to be unrelated: turbulence, evolution, and social organization. The commonality between these systems is that in each case, microscopic interaction rules give rise to an emergent behavior that in some way makes contact with the macroscopic scale of the problem. The open-ended evolution of complexity in evolving systems is analogous to the scale-free structure established in turbulent flows through local transportation of energy. In both cases, an invariance is required for the cascading behavior to occur, and in both cases the scale-free structure is built up from some initial scale from which the behavior is fed. In turbulence, I examine the case of two-dimensional turbulence in order to support the hypothesis that the friction factor and velocity profile of turbulent pipe flows depend on the turbulent energy spectrum in a way unpredicted by the classic Prandtl theory. By simulating two-dimensional flows in controlled geometries, either an inverse energy cascade or forward enstrophy cascade can be produced. The friction factor scaling of the flow changes depending on which cascade is present, in a way consistent with momentum transfer theory and roughness-induced criticality. In the problem of evolution, I show that open-ended growth of complexity can be obtained by ensuring that the evolutionary dynamics are invariant with respect to changes in complexity. Finite system size, finite point mutation rate, and fixed points in the fitness landscape can all interrupt this cascade behavior, producing an analogue to the integral scale of turbulence. This complexity cascade can exist both for competing and for symbiotic sets of organisms. Extending this picture to the qualitatively-different levels of organization of real lifeforms (viruses, unicellular, biofilms, multicellular) requires an understanding of how the processes of evolution themselves evolve. I show that a separation of spatial or temporal scales can enhance selection pressure on parameters that only matter several generations down the line. Because of this, I conclude that the prime candidates for the emergence of novel evolutionary mechanisms are biofilms and things living in oscillating environments. Finally, in the problem of social organization, I show that different types of control hierarchies - leaders or communal decision making - can emerge depending on the relationship between the environment in which members of the social group act and the development and exchange of information.

Polarization Radiation with Turbulent Magnetic Fields from X-Ray Binaries

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhang, Jian-Fu; Xiang, Fu-Yuan; Lu, Ju-Fu, E-mail: jfzhang@xtu.edu.cn, E-mail: fyxiang@xtu.edu.cn, E-mail: lujf@xmu.edu.cn

2017-02-10

We study the properties of polarized radiation in turbulent magnetic fields from X-ray binary jets. These turbulent magnetic fields are composed of large- and small-scale configurations, which result in the polarized jitter radiation when the characteristic length of turbulence is less than the non-relativistic Larmor radius. On the contrary, the polarized synchrotron emission occurs, corresponding to a large-scale turbulent environment. We calculate the spectral energy distributions and the degree of polarization for a general microquasar. Numerical results show that turbulent magnetic field configurations can indeed provide a high degree of polarization, which does not mean that a uniform, large-scale magneticmore » field structure exists. The model is applied to investigate the properties of polarized radiation of the black-hole X-ray binary Cygnus X-1. Under the constraint of multiband observations of this source, our studies demonstrate that the model can explain the high polarization degree at the MeV tail and predict the highly polarized properties at the high-energy γ -ray region, and that the dominant small-scale turbulent magnetic field plays an important role for explaining the highly polarized observation at hard X-ray/soft γ -ray bands. This model can be tested by polarization observations of upcoming polarimeters at high-energy γ -ray bands.« less

Statistics of spatial derivatives of velocity and pressure in turbulent channel flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vreman, A. W.; Kuerten, J. G. M.

2014-08-01

Statistical profiles of the first- and second-order spatial derivatives of velocity and pressure are reported for turbulent channel flow at Reτ = 590. The statistics were extracted from a high-resolution direct numerical simulation. To quantify the anisotropic behavior of fine-scale structures, the variances of the derivatives are compared with the theoretical values for isotropic turbulence. It is shown that appropriate combinations of first- and second-order velocity derivatives lead to (directional) viscous length scales without explicit occurrence of the viscosity in the definitions. To quantify the non-Gaussian and intermittent behavior of fine-scale structures, higher-order moments and probability density functions of spatial derivatives are reported. Absolute skewnesses and flatnesses of several spatial derivatives display high peaks in the near wall region. In the logarithmic and central regions of the channel flow, all first-order derivatives appear to be significantly more intermittent than in isotropic turbulence at the same Taylor Reynolds number. Since the nine variances of first-order velocity derivatives are the distinct elements of the turbulence dissipation, the budgets of these nine variances are shown, together with the budget of the turbulence dissipation. The comparison of the budgets in the near-wall region indicates that the normal derivative of the fluctuating streamwise velocity (∂u'/∂y) plays a more important role than other components of the fluctuating velocity gradient. The small-scale generation term formed by triple correlations of fluctuations of first-order velocity derivatives is analyzed. A typical mechanism of small-scale generation near the wall (around y+ = 1), the intensification of positive ∂u'/∂y by local strain fluctuation (compression in normal and stretching in spanwise direction), is illustrated and discussed.

Direct and inverse energy cascades in a forced rotating turbulence experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campagne, Antoine; Gallet, Basile; Moisy, Frédéric; Cortet, Pierre-Philippe

2014-11-01

Turbulence in a rotating frame provides a remarkable system where 2D and 3D properties may coexist, with a possible tuning between direct and inverse cascades. We present here experimental evidence for a double cascade of kinetic energy in a statistically stationary rotating turbulence experiment. Turbulence is generated by a set of vertical flaps which continuously injects velocity fluctuations towards the center of a rotating water tank. The energy transfers are evaluated from two-point third-order three-component velocity structure functions, which we measure using stereoscopic PIV in the rotating frame. Without global rotation, the energy is transferred from large to small scales, as in classical 3D turbulence. For nonzero rotation rates, the horizontal kinetic energy presents a double cascade: a direct cascade at small horizontal scales and an inverse cascade at large horizontal scales. By contrast, the vertical kinetic energy is always transferred from large to small horizontal scales, a behavior reminiscent of the dynamics of a passive scalar in 2D turbulence. At the largest rotation rate, the flow is nearly 2D and a pure inverse energy cascade is found for the horizontal energy.

Computation of Large-Scale Structure Jet Noise Sources With Weak Nonlinear Effects Using Linear Euler

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dahl, Milo D.; Hixon, Ray; Mankbadi, Reda R.

2003-01-01

An approximate technique is presented for the prediction of the large-scale turbulent structure sound source in a supersonic jet. A linearized Euler equations code is used to solve for the flow disturbances within and near a jet with a given mean flow. Assuming a normal mode composition for the wave-like disturbances, the linear radial profiles are used in an integration of the Navier-Stokes equations. This results in a set of ordinary differential equations representing the weakly nonlinear self-interactions of the modes along with their interaction with the mean flow. Solutions are then used to correct the amplitude of the disturbances that represent the source of large-scale turbulent structure sound in the jet.

The effects of particle loading on turbulence structure and modelling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Squires, Kyle D.; Eaton, J. K.

1989-01-01

The objective of the present research was to extend the Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) approach to particle-laden turbulent flows using a simple model of particle/flow interaction. The program addressed the simplest type of flow, homogeneous, isotropic turbulence, and examined interactions between the particles and gas phase turbulence. The specific range of problems examined include those in which the particle is much smaller than the smallest length scales of the turbulence yet heavy enough to slip relative to the flow. The particle mass loading is large enough to have a significant impact on the turbulence, while the volume loading was small enough such that particle-particle interactions could be neglected. Therefore, these simulations are relevant to practical problems involving small, dense particles conveyed by turbulent gas flows at moderate loadings. A sample of the results illustrating modifications of the particle concentration field caused by the turbulence structure is presented and attenuation of turbulence by the particle cloud is also illustrated.

New Insights into the Nature of Turbulence in the Earth's Magnetosheath Using Magnetospheric MultiScale Mission Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breuillard, H.; Matteini, L.; Argall, M. R.; Sahraoui, F.; Andriopoulou, M.; Le Contel, O.; Retinò, A.; Mirioni, L.; Huang, S. Y.; Gershman, D. J.; Ergun, R. E.; Wilder, F. D.; Goodrich, K. A.; Ahmadi, N.; Yordanova, E.; Vaivads, A.; Turner, D. L.; Khotyaintsev, Yu. V.; Graham, D. B.; Lindqvist, P.-A.; Chasapis, A.; Burch, J. L.; Torbert, R. B.; Russell, C. T.; Magnes, W.; Strangeway, R. J.; Plaschke, F.; Moore, T. E.; Giles, B. L.; Paterson, W. R.; Pollock, C. J.; Lavraud, B.; Fuselier, S. A.; Cohen, I. J.

2018-06-01

The Earth’s magnetosheath, which is characterized by highly turbulent fluctuations, is usually divided into two regions of different properties as a function of the angle between the interplanetary magnetic field and the shock normal. In this study, we make use of high-time resolution instruments on board the Magnetospheric MultiScale spacecraft to determine and compare the properties of subsolar magnetosheath turbulence in both regions, i.e., downstream of the quasi-parallel and quasi-perpendicular bow shocks. In particular, we take advantage of the unprecedented temporal resolution of the Fast Plasma Investigation instrument to show the density fluctuations down to sub-ion scales for the first time. We show that the nature of turbulence is highly compressible down to electron scales, particularly in the quasi-parallel magnetosheath. In this region, the magnetic turbulence also shows an inertial (Kolmogorov-like) range, indicating that the fluctuations are not formed locally, in contrast with the quasi-perpendicular magnetosheath. We also show that the electromagnetic turbulence is dominated by electric fluctuations at sub-ion scales (f > 1 Hz) and that magnetic and electric spectra steepen at the largest-electron scale. The latter indicates a change in the nature of turbulence at electron scales. Finally, we show that the electric fluctuations around the electron gyrofrequency are mostly parallel in the quasi-perpendicular magnetosheath, where intense whistlers are observed. This result suggests that energy dissipation, plasma heating, and acceleration might be driven by intense electrostatic parallel structures/waves, which can be linked to whistler waves.

Characterisation of turbulence downstream of a linear compressor cascade

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

di Mare, Luca; Jelly, Thomas; Day, Ivor

2014-11-01

Characterisation of turbulence in turbomachinery remains one of the most complex tasks in fluid mechanics. In addition, current closure models required for Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes computations do not accurately represent the action of turbulent forces against the mean flow. Therefore, the statistical properties of turbulence in turbomachinery are of significant interest. In the current work, single- and two-point hot-wire measurements have been acquired downstream of a linear compressor cascade in order to examine the properties of large-scale turbulent structures and to assess how they affect turbulent momentum and energy transfer in compressor passages. The cascade has seven controlled diffusion which are representative of high-pressure stator blades found in turbofan engines. Blade chord, thickness and camber are 0.1515 m, 9.3% and 42 degrees, respectively. Measurements were acquired at a chord Reynolds number of 6 . 92 ×105 . Single-point statistics highlight differences in turbulence structure when comparing mid-span and end-wall regions. Evaluation of two-point correlations and their corresponding spectra reveal the length-scales of the energy-bearing eddies in the cascade. Ultimately, these measurements can be used to calibrate future computational models. The authors gratefully acknowledge Rolls-Royce plc for funding this work and granting permission for its publication.

Kolmogorov-Kraichnan Scaling in the Inverse Energy Cascade of Two-Dimensional Plasma Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antar, G. Y.

2003-08-01

Turbulence in plasmas that are magnetically confined, such as tokamaks or linear devices, is two dimensional or at least quasi two dimensional due to the strong magnetic field, which leads to extreme elongation of the fluctuations, if any, in the direction parallel to the magnetic field. These plasmas are also compressible fluid flows obeying the compressible Navier-Stokes equations. This Letter presents the first comprehensive scaling of the structure functions of the density and velocity fields up to 10th order in the PISCES linear plasma device and up to 6th order in the Mega-Ampère Spherical Tokamak (MAST). In the two devices, it is found that the scaling of the turbulent fields is in good agreement with the prediction of the Kolmogorov-Kraichnan theory for two-dimensional turbulence in the energy cascade subrange.

Scaling Properties of Particle Density Fields Formed in Simulated Turbulent Flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hogan, Robert C.; Cuzzi, Jeffrey N.; Dobrovolskis, Anthony R.; DeVincenzi, Donald (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

Direct numerical simulations (DNS) of particle concentrations in fully developed 3D turbulence were carried out in order to study the nonuniform structure of the particle density field. Three steady-state turbulent fluid fields with Taylor microscale Reynolds numbers (Re(sub lambda)) of 40, 80 and 140 were generated by solving the Navier-Stokes equations with pseudospectral methods. Large scale forcing was used to drive the turbulence and maintain temporal stationarity. The response of the particles to the fluid was parameterized by the particle Stokes number St, defined as the ratio of the particle's stopping time to the mean period of eddies on the Kolmogorov scale (eta). In this paper, we consider only passive particles optimally coupled to these eddies (St approx. = 1) because of their tendency to concentrate more than particles with lesser or greater St values. The trajectories of up to 70 million particles were tracked in the equilibrated turbulent flows until the particle concentration field reached a statistically stationary state. The nonuniform structure of the concentration fields was characterized by the multifractal singularity spectrum, f(alpha), derived from measures obtained after binning particles into cells ranging from 2(eta) to 15(eta) in size. We observed strong systematic variations of f(alpha) across this scale range in all three simulations and conclude that the particle concentration field is not statistically self similar across the scale range explored. However, spectra obtained at the 2(eta), 4(eta), and 8(eta) scales of each flow case were found to be qualitatively similar. This result suggests that the local structure of the particle concentration field may be flow-Independent. The singularity spectra found for 2n-sized cells were used to predict concentration distributions in good agreement with those obtained directly from the particle data. This Singularity spectrum has a shape similar to the analogous spectrum derived for the inertial-range energy dissipation fields of experimental turbulent flows at Re(sub lambda) = 110 and 1100. Based on this agreement, and the expectation that both dissipation and particle concentration are controlled by the same cascade process, we hypothesize that singularity spectra similar to the ones found in this work provide a good characterization of the spatially averaged statistical properties of preferentially concentrated particles in higher Re(sub lambda) turbulent flows.

Zonal Flows and Long-lived Axisymmetric Pressure Bumps in Magnetorotational Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johansen, A.; Youdin, A.; Klahr, H.

2009-06-01

We study the behavior of magnetorotational turbulence in shearing box simulations with a radial and azimuthal extent up to 10 scale heights. Maxwell and Reynolds stresses are found to increase by more than a factor of 2 when increasing the box size beyond two scale heights in the radial direction. Further increase of the box size has little or no effect on the statistical properties of the turbulence. An inverse cascade excites magnetic field structures at the largest scales of the box. The corresponding 10% variation in the Maxwell stress launches a zonal flow of alternating sub- and super-Keplerian velocity. This, in turn, generates a banded density structure in geostrophic balance between pressure and Coriolis forces. We present a simplified model for the appearance of zonal flows, in which stochastic forcing by the magnetic tension on short timescales creates zonal flow structures with lifetimes of several tens of orbits. We experiment with various improved shearing box algorithms to reduce the numerical diffusivity introduced by the supersonic shear flow. While a standard finite difference advection scheme shows signs of a suppression of turbulent activity near the edges of the box, this problem is eliminated by a new method where the Keplerian shear advection is advanced in time by interpolation in Fourier space.

Strained spiral vortex model for turbulent fine structure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lundgren, T. S.

1982-01-01

A model for the intermittent fine structure of high Reynolds number turbulence is proposed. The model consists of slender axially strained spiral vortex solutions of the Navier-Stokes equation. The tightening of the spiral turns by the differential rotation of the induced swirling velocity produces a cascade of velocity fluctuations to smaller scale. The Kolmogorov energy spectrum is a result of this model.

Clumpy filaments of the Chamaeleon I cloud: C18O mapping with the SEST

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haikala, L. K.; Harju, J.; Mattila, K.; Toriseva, M.

2005-02-01

The Chamaeleon I dark cloud (Cha I) has been mapped in C18O with an angular resolution of 1 arcmin using the SEST telescope. The large scale structures previously observed with lower spatial resolution in the cloud turn into a network of clumpy filaments. The automatic Clumpfind routine developed by \\cite{williams1994} is used to identify individual clumps in a consistent way. Altogether 71 clumps were found and the total mass of these clumps is 230 M⊙. The dense ``cores'' detected with the NANTEN telescope (\\cite{mizuno1999}) and the very cold cores detected in the ISOPHOT serendipity survey (\\cite{toth2000}) form parts of these filaments but decompose into numerous ``clumps''. The filaments are preferentially oriented at right angles to the large-scale magnetic field in the region. We discuss the cloud structure, the physical characteristics of the clumps and the distribution of young stars. The observed clump mass spectrum is compared with the predictions of the turbulent fragmentation model of \\cite{padoan2002}. Agreement is found if fragmentation has been driven by very large-scale hypersonic turbulence, and if by now it has had time to dissipate into modestly supersonic turbulence in the interclump gas. According to numerical simulations, large-scale turbulence should have resulted in filamentary structures as seen in Cha I. The well-oriented magnetic field does not, however, support this picture, but suggests magnetically steered large-scale collapse. The origin of filaments and clumps in Cha I is thus controversial. A possible solution is that the characterization of the driving turbulence fails and that in fact different processes have been effective on small and large scales in this cloud. Based on observations collected at the European Southern Observatory, La Silla, Chile. FITS files are only available in electronic form at http://www.edpsciences.org

The third-order structure function in two dimensions: The Rashomon effect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cerbus, Rory T.; Chakraborty, Pinaki

2017-11-01

We study the third-order longitudinal structure function, S3(r), in two-dimensional turbulence. In three dimensions, there is considerable theoretical, experimental, and numerical consensus regarding the validity of Kolmogorov's arch-famous " /4 5 th law" for S3(r). By contrast, in two dimensions, two disparate cascades, changed dissipation anomalies, a large-scale drag, and other factors conspire to create several versions of the S3(r) "law." This single quantity can vary considerably when viewed from different perspectives, reminiscent of the "Rashomon effect" in anthropology. After reviewing the history and usage of S3(r) in two-dimensional turbulence, we show that S3(r) generically embodies a mixture of energy and enstrophy fluxes. Building on this result, we derive S3(r) laws for freely decaying and forced two-dimensional turbulent flows, where we also account for the effects of a large-scale drag, an inextricable feature of quasi two-dimensional turbulence in experimental and atmospheric flows. We draw attention to the caution needed in interpreting S3(r) in two-dimensional turbulence.

A Novel Multi-scale Simulation Strategy for Turbulent Reacting Flows

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

James, Sutherland C.

In this project, a new methodology was proposed to bridge the gap between Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) and Large Eddy Simulation (LES). This novel methodology, titled Lattice-Based Multiscale Simulation (LBMS), creates a lattice structure of One-Dimensional Turbulence (ODT) models. This model has been shown to capture turbulent combustion with high fidelity by fully resolving interactions between turbulence and diffusion. By creating a lattice of ODT models, which are then coupled, LBMS overcomes the shortcomings of ODT, which are its inability to capture large scale three dimensional flow structures. However, by spacing these lattices significantly apart, LBMS can avoid the cursemore » of dimensionality that creates untenable computational costs associated with DNS. This project has shown that LBMS is capable of reproducing statistics of isotropic turbulent flows while coarsening the spacing between lines significantly. It also investigates and resolves issues that arise when coupling ODT lines, such as flux reconstruction perpendicular to a given ODT line, preservation of conserved quantities when eddies cross a course cell volume and boundary condition application. Robust parallelization is also investigated.« less

Properties of small-scale interfacial turbulence from a novel thermography based approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schnieders, Jana; Garbe, Christoph

2013-04-01

Oceans cover nearly two thirds of the earth's surface and exchange processes between the Atmosphere and the Ocean are of fundamental environmental importance. At the air-sea interface, complex interaction processes take place on a multitude of scales. Turbulence plays a key role in the coupling of momentum, heat and mass transfer [2]. Here we use high resolution infrared imagery to visualize near surface aqueous turbulence. Thermographic data is analized from a range of laboratory facilities and experimental conditions with wind speeds ranging from 1ms-1 to 7ms-1 and various surface conditions. The surface heat pattern is formed by distinct structures on two scales - small-scale short lived structures termed fish scales and larger scale cold streaks that are consistent with the footprints of Langmuir Circulations. There are two key characteristics of the observed surface heat patterns: (1) The surface heat patterns show characteristic features of scales. (2) The structure of these patterns change with increasing wind stress and surface conditions. We present a new image processing based approach to the analysis of the spacing of cold streaks based on a machine learning approach [4, 1] to classify the thermal footprints of near surface turbulence. Our random forest classifier is based on classical features in image processing such as gray value gradients and edge detecting features. The result is a pixel-wise classification of the surface heat pattern with a subsequent analysis of the streak spacing. This approach has been presented in [3] and can be applied to a wide range of experimental data. In spite of entirely different boundary conditions, the spacing of turbulent cells near the air-water interface seems to match the expected turbulent cell size for flow near a no-slip wall. The analysis of the spacing of cold streaks shows consistent behavior in a range of laboratory facilities when expressed as a function of water sided friction velocity, u*. The scales systematically decrease until a point of saturation at u* = 0.7 cm/s. Results suggest a saturation in the tangential stress, anticipating that similar behavior will be observed in the open ocean. A comparison with studies of small-scale Langmuir circulations and Langmuir numbers shows that thermal footprints in infrared images are consistent with Langmuir circulations and depend strongly on wind wave conditions. Our approach is not limited to laboratory measurments. In the near future, we will deploy it on in-situ measurements and verify our findings in these more challenging conditions. References [1] L. Breimann. Random forests. Machine Learning, 45:5-32, 2001. [2] S. P. McKenna and W. R. McGillis. The role of free-surface turbulence and surfactants in air-water gas transfer. Int. J. Heat Mass Transfer, 47:539-553, 2004. [3] J Schnieders, C. S. Garbe, W.L. Peirson, and C. J. Zappa. Analyzing the footprints of near surface aqueous turbulence - an image processing based approach. Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans, 2013. [4] Christoph Sommer, Christoph Straehle, Ullrich Koethe, and Fred A. Hamprecht. ilastik: Interactive learning and segmentation toolkit. In 8th IEEE International Symposium on Biomedical Imaging (ISBI 2011), 2011. [5] W.-T. Tsai, S.-M. Chen, and C.-H. Moeng. A numerical study on the evolution and structure of a stress-driven free-surface turbulent shear flow. J. Fluid Mech., 545:163-192, 2005.

MHD Instability and Turbulence in the Tachocline

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Werne, Joe; Wagner, William J. (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

The focus of this project was to study the physical processes that govern tachocline dynamics and structure. Specific features explored included stratification, shear, waves, and toroidal and poloidal background fields. In order to address recent theoretical work on anisotropic mixing and dynamics in the tachocline, we were particularly interested in such anisotropic mixing for the specific tachocline processes studied. Transition to turbulence often shapes the largest-scale features that appear spontaneously in a flow during the development of turbulence. The resulting large-scale straining field can control the subsequent dynamics; therefore, anticipation of the large-scale straining field that results for individual realizations of the transition to turbulence can be important for subsequent dynamics, flow morphology, and transport characteristics. As a result, we paid particular attention to the development of turbulence in the stratified and sheared environment of the tachocline. This is complicated by the fact that the linearly stability of sheared MHD flows is non-self-adjoint, implying that normal asymptotic linear stability theory may not be relevant.

Wall roughness induces asymptotic ultimate turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Xiaojue; Verschoof, Ruben A.; Bakhuis, Dennis; Huisman, Sander G.; Verzicco, Roberto; Sun, Chao; Lohse, Detlef

2018-04-01

Turbulence governs the transport of heat, mass and momentum on multiple scales. In real-world applications, wall-bounded turbulence typically involves surfaces that are rough; however, characterizing and understanding the effects of wall roughness on turbulence remains a challenge. Here, by combining extensive experiments and numerical simulations, we examine the paradigmatic Taylor-Couette system, which describes the closed flow between two independently rotating coaxial cylinders. We show how wall roughness greatly enhances the overall transport properties and the corresponding scaling exponents associated with wall-bounded turbulence. We reveal that if only one of the walls is rough, the bulk velocity is slaved to the rough side, due to the much stronger coupling to that wall by the detaching flow structures. If both walls are rough, the viscosity dependence is eliminated, giving rise to asymptotic ultimate turbulence—the upper limit of transport—the existence of which was predicted more than 50 years ago. In this limit, the scaling laws can be extrapolated to arbitrarily large Reynolds numbers.

Enhancement of fine-scale mixing for fuel-rich plume combustion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schadow, K. C.; Gutmark, E.; Parr, T. P.; Parr, D. M.; Wilson, K. J.; Ferrell, G. B.

1987-01-01

The effect of enhancing small-scale turbulent structures on the combustion intensity and flame stability was studied in nonreacting and reacting flows. Hot-wire anemometry was used to map the mean and turbulent flow fields of the nonreacting flows. Reacting flows were studied in a free flame and in a ducted gas-generator fuel-rich plume using Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence, a rake of thermocouples and high speed photography. A modified circular nozzle having several backward facing steps upstream of its exit was used to introduce numerous inflection points in the initial mean velocity profiles, thus producing multiple corresponding sources of small-scale turbulence generators. Cold flow tests showed turbulence increases of up to six times the initial turbulence level relative to a circular nozzle. The ensuing result was that the flame of this nozzle was more intense with a homogeneous heat release. The fuel-rich plume was stable even in supersonic speeds, and secondary ignition was obtained under conditions that prevented sustained afterburning using the circular nozzle.

Magnetic Turbulence, Fast Magnetic Field line Diffusion and Small Magnetic Structures in the Solar Wind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zimbardo, G.; Pommois, P.; Veltri, P.

2003-09-01

The influence of magnetic turbulence on magnetic field line diffusion has been known since the early days of space and plasma physics. However, the importance of ``stochastic diffusion'' for energetic particles has been challenged on the basis of the fact that sharp gradients of either energetic particles or ion composition are often observed in the solar wind. Here we show that fast transverse field line and particle diffusion can coexist with small magnetic structures, sharp gradients, and with long lived magnetic flux tubes. We show, by means of a numerical realization of three dimensional magnetic turbulence and by use of the concepts of deterministic chaos and turbulent transport, that turbulent diffusion is different from Gaussian diffusion, and that transport can be inhomogeneous even if turbulence homogeneously fills the heliosphere. Several diagnostics of field line transport and flux tube evolution are shown, and the size of small magnetic structures in the solar wind, like gradient scales and flux tube thickness, are estimated and compared to the observations.

Organized turbulent motions in a hedgerow vineyard: effect of evolving canopy structure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vendrame, Nadia; Tezza, Luca; Tha Paw U, Kyaw; Pitacco, Andrea

2017-04-01

Vegetation-atmosphere exchanges are determined by functional and structural properties of the plants together with environmental forcing. However, a fundamental aspect is the interaction of the canopy with the lower atmosphere. The vegetation deeply alters the composition and physical properties of the air flow, exchanging energy, matter and momentum with it. These processes take place in the bottom part of the atmospheric boundary layer where turbulence is the main mechanism transporting within-canopy air towards the mid- and upper atmospheric boundary layer and vice versa. Canopy turbulence is highly influenced by vegetation drag elements, determining the vertical profile of turbulent moments within the canopy. Canopies organized in rows, like vineyards, show peculiar turbulent transport dynamics. In addition, the morphological structure (phenology) of the vineyard is greatly variable seasonally, shifting from an empty canopy during vine dormancy to dense foliage in summer. The understanding of the canopy ventilation regime is related to several practical applications in vineyard management. For example, within-canopy turbulent motion is very important to predict small particles dispersion, like fungal spores, and minimize infection studying the effect on leaf wetness duration. Our study aims to follow the continuous evolution of turbulence characteristics and canopy structure during the growing season of a hedgerow vineyard, from bud break to fully developed canopy. The field experiment was conducted in a flat extensive vineyard in North-Eastern Italy, using a vertical array of five synchronous sonic anemometers within and above the canopy. Turbulent flow organization was greatly influenced by canopy structure. Turbulent coherent structures involved in momentum transport have been investigated using the classical quadrant analysis and a novel approach to identify dominant temporal scales. Momentum transport in the canopy was dominated by downward gusts showing increasing importance throughout the growing season. At the same time, transport intermittency increased with developing leaf density. The contribution by interaction terms, acting opposite to downward momentum flux, increased in the lower canopy. The analysis of event time scales revealed that momentum transport in the vineyard was dominated by sweeps of 2-4 s duration and ejections of 4-6 s duration, which can be summed to estimate an average duration of dominating coherent structures in the order of 6-10 s. The evolution of canopy morphology did not have any clear influence on structure duration.

An improved method to characterise the modulation of small-scale turbulent by large-scale structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agostini, Lionel; Leschziner, Michael; Gaitonde, Datta

2015-11-01

A key aspect of turbulent boundary layer dynamics is ``modulation,'' which refers to degree to which the intensity of coherent large-scale structures (LS) cause an amplification or attenuation of the intensity of the small-scale structures (SS) through large-scale-linkage. In order to identify the variation of the amplitude of the SS motion, the envelope of the fluctuations needs to be determined. Mathis et al. (2009) proposed to define this latter by low-pass filtering the modulus of the analytic signal built from the Hilbert transform of SS. The validity of this definition, as a basis for quantifying the modulated SS signal, is re-examined on the basis of DNS data for a channel flow. The analysis shows that the modulus of the analytic signal is very sensitive to the skewness of its PDF, which is dependent, in turn, on the sign of the LS fluctuation and thus of whether these fluctuations are associated with sweeps or ejections. The conclusion is that generating an envelope by use of a low-pass filtering step leads to an important loss of information associated with the effects of the local skewness of the PDF of the SS on the modulation process. An improved Hilbert-transform-based method is proposed to characterize the modulation of SS turbulence by LS structures

Local structure of scalar flux in turbulent passive scalar mixing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konduri, Aditya; Donzis, Diego

2012-11-01

Understanding the properties of scalar flux is important in the study of turbulent mixing. Classical theories suggest that it mainly depends on the large scale structures in the flow. Recent studies suggest that the mean scalar flux reaches an asymptotic value at high Peclet numbers, independent of molecular transport properties of the fluid. A large DNS database of isotropic turbulence with passive scalars forced with a mean scalar gradient with resolution up to 40963, is used to explore the structure of scalar flux based on the local topology of the flow. It is found that regions of small velocity gradients, where dissipation and enstrophy are small, constitute the main contribution to scalar flux. On the other hand, regions of very small scalar gradient (and scalar dissipation) become less important to the scalar flux at high Reynolds numbers. The scaling of the scalar flux spectra is also investigated. The k - 7 / 3 scaling proposed by Lumley (1964) is observed at high Reynolds numbers, but collapse is not complete. A spectral bump similar to that in the velocity spectrum is observed close to dissipative scales. A number of features, including the height of the bump, appear to reach an asymptotic value at high Schmidt number.

Numerical study of dynamo action at low magnetic Prandtl numbers.

PubMed

Ponty, Y; Mininni, P D; Montgomery, D C; Pinton, J-F; Politano, H; Pouquet, A

2005-04-29

We present a three-pronged numerical approach to the dynamo problem at low magnetic Prandtl numbers P(M). The difficulty of resolving a large range of scales is circumvented by combining direct numerical simulations, a Lagrangian-averaged model and large-eddy simulations. The flow is generated by the Taylor-Green forcing; it combines a well defined structure at large scales and turbulent fluctuations at small scales. Our main findings are (i) dynamos are observed from P(M)=1 down to P(M)=10(-2), (ii) the critical magnetic Reynolds number increases sharply with P(M)(-1) as turbulence sets in and then it saturates, and (iii) in the linear growth phase, unstable magnetic modes move to smaller scales as P(M) is decreased. Then the dynamo grows at large scales and modifies the turbulent velocity fluctuations.

A spatial length scale analysis of turbulent temperature and velocity fluctuations within and above an orchard canopy

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wang, Y.S.; Miller, D.R.; Anderson, D.E.; Cionco, R.M.; Lin, J.D.

1992-01-01

Turbulent flow within and above an almond orchard was measured with three-dimensional wind sensors and fine-wire thermocouple sensors arranged in a horizontal array. The data showed organized turbulent structures as indicated by coherent asymmetric ramp patterns in the time series traces across the sensor array. Space-time correlation analysis indicated that velocity and temperature fluctuations were significantly correlated over a transverse distance more than 4m. Integral length scales of velocity and temperature fluctuations were substantially greater in unstable conditions than those in stable conditions. The coherence spectral analysis indicated that Davenport's geometric similarity hypothesis was satisfied in the lower frequency region. From the geometric similarity hypothesis, the spatial extents of large ramp structures were also estimated with the coherence functions.

Compressible turbulent mixing: Effects of Schmidt number.

PubMed

Ni, Qionglin

2015-05-01

We investigated by numerical simulations the effects of Schmidt number on passive scalar transport in forced compressible turbulence. The range of Schmidt number (Sc) was 1/25∼25. In the inertial-convective range the scalar spectrum seemed to obey the k(-5/3) power law. For Sc≫1, there appeared a k(-1) power law in the viscous-convective range, while for Sc≪1, a k(-17/3) power law was identified in the inertial-diffusive range. The scaling constant computed by the mixed third-order structure function of the velocity-scalar increment showed that it grew over Sc, and the effect of compressibility made it smaller than the 4/3 value from incompressible turbulence. At small amplitudes, the probability distribution function (PDF) of scalar fluctuations collapsed to the Gaussian distribution whereas, at large amplitudes, it decayed more quickly than Gaussian. At large scales, the PDF of scalar increment behaved similarly to that of scalar fluctuation. In contrast, at small scales it resembled the PDF of scalar gradient. Furthermore, the scalar dissipation occurring at large magnitudes was found to grow with Sc. Due to low molecular diffusivity, in the Sc≫1 flow the scalar field rolled up and got mixed sufficiently. However, in the Sc≪1 flow the scalar field lost the small-scale structures by high molecular diffusivity and retained only the large-scale, cloudlike structures. The spectral analysis found that the spectral densities of scalar advection and dissipation in both Sc≫1 and Sc≪1 flows probably followed the k(-5/3) scaling. This indicated that in compressible turbulence the processes of advection and dissipation except that of scalar-dilatation coupling might deferring to the Kolmogorov picture. It then showed that at high wave numbers, the magnitudes of spectral coherency in both Sc≫1 and Sc≪1 flows decayed faster than the theoretical prediction of k(-2/3) for incompressible flows. Finally, the comparison with incompressible results showed that the scalar in compressible turbulence with Sc=1 lacked a conspicuous bump structure in its spectrum, but was more intermittent in the dissipative range.

Turbulent statistics and intermittency enhancement in coflowing superfluid 4He

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Biferale, L.; Khomenko, D.; L'vov, V.; Pomyalov, A.; Procaccia, I.; Sahoo, G.

2018-02-01

The large-scale turbulent statistics of mechanically driven superfluid 4He was shown experimentally to follow the classical counterpart. In this paper, we use direct numerical simulations to study the whole range of scales in a range of temperatures T ∈[1.3 ,2.1 ] K. The numerics employ self-consistent and nonlinearly coupled normal and superfluid components. The main results are that (i) the velocity fluctuations of normal and super components are well correlated in the inertial range of scales, but decorrelate at small scales. (ii) The energy transfer by mutual friction between components is particulary efficient in the temperature range between 1.8 and 2 K, leading to enhancement of small-scale intermittency for these temperatures. (iii) At low T and close to Tλ, the scaling properties of the energy spectra and structure functions of the two components are approaching those of classical hydrodynamic turbulence.

Turbulence, flow and transport: hints from reversed field pinch

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vianello, N.; Antoni, V.; Spada, E.; Spolaore, M.; Serianni, G.; Cavazzana, R.; Bergsåker, H.; Cecconello, M.; Drake, J. R.

2006-04-01

The interplay between sheared E × B flows and turbulence has been experimentally investigated in the edge region of the Extrap-T2R reversed field pinch experiment. Electrostatic fluctuations are found to rule the momentum balance equation representing the main driving term for sheared flows which counterbalances anomalous viscous damping. The driving role of electrostatic fluctuations is proved by the spatial structure of the Reynolds stress and by the time behaviour of the mean energy production term which supports the existence of an energy exchange from the small scales of turbulence to the larger scales of the mean flow.

The impact of stellar feedback on the density and velocity structure of the interstellar medium

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grisdale, Kearn; Agertz, Oscar; Romeo, Alessandro B.; Renaud, Florent; Read, Justin I.

2017-04-01

We study the impact of stellar feedback in shaping the density and velocity structure of neutral hydrogen (H I) in disc galaxies. For our analysis, we carry out ˜4.6 pc resolution N-body+adaptive mesh refinement hydrodynamic simulations of isolated galaxies, set up to mimic a Milky Way and a Large and Small Magellanic Cloud. We quantify the density and velocity structure of the interstellar medium using power spectra and compare the simulated galaxies to observed H I in local spiral galaxies from THINGS (The H I Nearby Galaxy Survey). Our models with stellar feedback give an excellent match to the observed THINGS H I density power spectra. We find that kinetic energy power spectra in feedback-regulated galaxies, regardless of galaxy mass and size, show scalings in excellent agreement with supersonic turbulence (E(k) ∝ k-2) on scales below the thickness of the H I layer. We show that feedback influences the gas density field, and drives gas turbulence, up to large (kpc) scales. This is in stark contrast to density fields generated by large-scale gravity-only driven turbulence. We conclude that the neutral gas content of galaxies carries signatures of stellar feedback on all scales.

A simple phenomenological model for grain clustering in turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hopkins, Philip F.

2016-01-01

We propose a simple model for density fluctuations of aerodynamic grains, embedded in a turbulent, gravitating gas disc. The model combines a calculation for the behaviour of a group of grains encountering a single turbulent eddy, with a hierarchical approximation of the eddy statistics. This makes analytic predictions for a range of quantities including: distributions of grain densities, power spectra and correlation functions of fluctuations, and maximum grain densities reached. We predict how these scale as a function of grain drag time ts, spatial scale, grain-to-gas mass ratio tilde{ρ }, strength of turbulence α, and detailed disc properties. We test these against numerical simulations with various turbulence-driving mechanisms. The simulations agree well with the predictions, spanning ts Ω ˜ 10-4-10, tilde{ρ }˜ 0{-}3, α ˜ 10-10-10-2. Results from `turbulent concentration' simulations and laboratory experiments are also predicted as a special case. Vortices on a wide range of scales disperse and concentrate grains hierarchically. For small grains this is most efficient in eddies with turnover time comparable to the stopping time, but fluctuations are also damped by local gas-grain drift. For large grains, shear and gravity lead to a much broader range of eddy scales driving fluctuations, with most power on the largest scales. The grain density distribution has a log-Poisson shape, with fluctuations for large grains up to factors ≳1000. We provide simple analytic expressions for the predictions, and discuss implications for planetesimal formation, grain growth, and the structure of turbulence.

A Coupled Model of Langmuir Circulations and Ramp-like Structures in the Upper Ocean Turbulent Boundary Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soloviev, A.; Dean, C.; Lukas, R.; Donelan, M. A.; Terray, E. A.

2016-12-01

Surface-wave breaking is a powerful mechanism producing significant energy flux to small scale turbulence. Most of the turbulent energy produced by breaking waves dissipates within one significant wave height, while the turbulent diffusion layer extends to approximately ten significant wave heights. Notably, the near-surface shear may practically vanish within the wave-stirred layer due to small-scale turbulent mixing. The surface ocean temperature-salinity structure, circulation, and mass exchanges (including greenhouse gases and pollutants) substantially depend on turbulent mixing and non-local transport in the near-surface layer of the ocean. Spatially coherent organized motions have been recognized as an important part of non-local transport. Langmuir circulation (LC) and ramp-like structures are believed to vertically transfer an appreciable portion of the momentum, heat, gases, pollutants (e.g., oil), and other substances in the upper layer of the ocean. Free surface significantly complicates the analysis of turbulent exchanges at the air-sea interface and the coherent structures are not yet completely understood. In particular, there is growing observational evidence that in the case of developing seas when the wind direction may not coincide with the direction of the energy containing waves, the Langmuir lines are oriented in the wind rather than the wave direction. In addition, the vortex force due to Stokes drift in traditional models is altered in the breaking-wave-stirred layer. Another complication is that the ramp-like structures in the upper ocean turbulent boundary layer have axes perpendicular to the axes of LC. The ramp-like structures are not considered in the traditional model. We have developed a new model, which treats the LC and ramp-like structures in the near-surface layer of the ocean as a coupled system. Using computational fluid dynamics tools (LES), we have been able to reproduce both LC and ramp-like structures coexisting in space though intermittent in time. In the model, helicity isosurfaces appear to be tilted and, in general, coordinated with the tilted velocity isosurfaces produced by ramp-like structures. This is an indication of coupling between the LC and ramp-like structures. Remarkably, the new model is able to explain observations of LC under developing seas.

A scale-entropy diffusion equation to describe the multi-scale features of turbulent flames near a wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Queiros-Conde, D.; Foucher, F.; Mounaïm-Rousselle, C.; Kassem, H.; Feidt, M.

2008-12-01

Multi-scale features of turbulent flames near a wall display two kinds of scale-dependent fractal features. In scale-space, an unique fractal dimension cannot be defined and the fractal dimension of the front is scale-dependent. Moreover, when the front approaches the wall, this dependency changes: fractal dimension also depends on the wall-distance. Our aim here is to propose a general geometrical framework that provides the possibility to integrate these two cases, in order to describe the multi-scale structure of turbulent flames interacting with a wall. Based on the scale-entropy quantity, which is simply linked to the roughness of the front, we thus introduce a general scale-entropy diffusion equation. We define the notion of “scale-evolutivity” which characterises the deviation of a multi-scale system from the pure fractal behaviour. The specific case of a constant “scale-evolutivity” over the scale-range is studied. In this case, called “parabolic scaling”, the fractal dimension is a linear function of the logarithm of scale. The case of a constant scale-evolutivity in the wall-distance space implies that the fractal dimension depends linearly on the logarithm of the wall-distance. We then verified experimentally, that parabolic scaling represents a good approximation of the real multi-scale features of turbulent flames near a wall.

Rocket measurements of mesospheric ionization irregularities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoltzfus, R. B.; Bowhill, S. A.

1985-01-01

The Langmuir probe technique for measurement of electron concentration in the mesosphere is capable of excellent altitude resolution, of order 1 m. Measurements from nine daytime rocket flights carrying an electron density fine structure experiment frequently show small scale ionization structures in the altitude region 70 to 90 km. The irregularities are believed to be the result of turbulent advection of ions and electrons. The fine structure experiment flown by the University of Illinois is described and methods of analyzing the collected data is presented. Theories of homogeneous, isotropic turbulence are reviewed. Power spectra of the measured irregularities are calculated and compared to spectra predicted by turbulence theories.

Evidence of a forward energy cascade and Kolmogorov self-similarity in submesoscale ocean surface drifter observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poje, Andrew C.; Ã-zgökmen, Tamay M.; Bogucki, Darek J.; Kirwan, A. D.

2017-02-01

Using two-point velocity and position data from the near-simultaneous release of O(100) GPS-tracked surface drifters in the northern Gulf of Mexico, we examine the applicability of classical turbulent scaling laws to upper ocean velocity fields. The dataset allows direct estimates of both velocity structure functions and the temporal evolution of the distribution of particle pair separations. On 100 m-10 km spatial scales, and time scales of order 1-10 days, all metrics of the observed surface fluctuations are consistent with standard Kolmogorov turbulence theory in an energy cascade inertial-range regime. The sign of the third-order structure function is negative and proportional to the separation distance for scales ≲10 km where local, fluctuating Rossby numbers are found to be larger than 0.1. The scale-independent energy dissipation rate, or downscale spectral flux, estimated from Kolmogorov's 4/5th law in this regime closely matches nearby microscale dissipation measurements in the near-surface. In contrast, similar statistics derived from a like-sized set of synthetic drifters advected by purely geostrophic altimetric AVISO data agree well with Kolmogorov-Kraichnan scaling for 2D turbulence in the forward enstrophy cascade range.

Sediment and plankton lift off recirculations in strong synthetic turbulence (KS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Redondo, Jose M.; Castilla, Roberto; Sekula, Emil; Furmanek, Petr

2014-05-01

The study of particle diffusion and of turbulent sedimentation is of great importance in many geophysical fields, such as in Environmental Science or Oceanography as well as in Bio-environmental and industrial processes. For a long time, the study of diffusion was numerically computed with random free paths, which gives Brownian behavior. (Richardson 1929). These stochastics methods have the objection that do not take into account the flow profile. On the other hand, there are many ways to simulate a fluid flow, but when this is turbulent our aim is to simulate the behaviour of neutral or heavy and inertial particles of biological or geological nature in a turbulent flow, in a simple way with a kinematically simulated model and to validate the results. We use the Kinematic Simulation (KS) model, also known as Synthetic Turbulence, suggested by Kraichnan (1966) and developed further by Castilla et al.(2007), Nicolleau et al.(2012). In this model, velocity field is generated through a Fourier series of random modes. The typical scales and the energy spectrum of the turbulence are inputs of the model. As we do not solve the flow in a discrete grid, but use a random predictive expression, we can simulate the flow at the smallest scales. In an unstratified flow, a KS flow field consists of a random, truncated Fourier representation in space and time, subject to constraints associated with incompressibility, and a prescribed initial energy spectrum. For stratified calculations, two further constraints are imposed, associated with the internal wave field in stratified flows, and the tendency of density variations to suppress vertical motion. With these model modifications, good agreement is found between KS and DNS with regard to the confinement in the vertical direction characteristic of stratified turbulence. Since stratifed flows exhibit this vertical confinement, KS in strictly two dimensions was considered as a first step to understanding dispersion within a stratified flow. The properties of ensemble averages of the separation between two particles in a 2D turbulent flow were considered, and the KS approach was found to give satisfactory answers, with good comparison to experiment. We also compare structure and intermittency between KS and DNS. And experiments (Redondo 1988) The dynamical processes associated with the stably stratified atmospheric boundary layer or in the ocean thermocline are less well understood than those of its convective counterparts. This is due to its complexity, and the fact that buoyancy reduces entrainment across density interfaces. We present results on a numerical simulation of homogeneous and density stratified fluids and of comparable laboratory experiments where a sharp density interface generated by either salt concentration or heat, advances due to grid stirred turbulence Redondo (1988, 1990). The appearance of bursts of turbulence in very stable conditions due to breaking up of the internal waves, confers a sporadic character to the turbulence; these conditions of non-fully developed turbulence could explain this unusual behaviour of the scaling exponents. (Mahjoub et al. 1998, 20009 The structure functions show, in the inertial range, a potential law . The relation is concave in strong mixing situations (instability with fully developed turbulence), and convex in very stable situations (in which the breaking up of the interval waves confers a sporadic character to the turbulence).The multifractal model can not be used to represent situations of non-fully developed turbulence but the use of structure function analysis allows the investigation of intermittent and scale to scale energy transfer even in local non equilibrium flows. The relative diffusion of tracers is strongly dependent on the slope of the energy spectra which tends to Richardson's law also for very steep spectra. (Castilla et al. 2007) Local turbulence is used to establish the geometry of the turbulence mixing, changes in the equilibrium (or not) cascade may lead to more physically realistic (and understandable) models to paramerize sub-grid scaling. Care has to be taken when interpreting the direct 3D Kolmogorov cascade and the Inverse 2D Kraichnan Cascade. It is very interesting to use ESS and the third order structure functions (p=3) to investigate the scale to scale transfer of energy (and enstrophy) A parameter space based on Richardson numbers, Rossby numbers and Reynolds Numbers can be used to determine the dominant instability with different intermittencies in a complex full stratified-rotating flow. Intermittency diminishes as spectral slope increases between 5/3 (Kolmogorov's local energy balance) and 3 (Kraichnan's local enstrophy balance) like near a boundary. (Rodriguez et al 1999, Redondo et al. 1993)(Gabaldon and Redondo 2001) Helicity local balance leads to a 7/3 Energy spectra that may be strongly affected by intermittency. It should also depend on the length scale. So in K62, Kolmogorov introduced the notion of intermittency, and he would transpose the universality character of his previous constant to the universality of several parameters, the intermittence which is generalized to higher orders p, μ(p). We know that μ is not universal, as it varies from approximately 0.2 to 0.7, according to different experiments. The new energy spectra, E(k,p), has a correction term in its power: -5/3 becomes -5/3-μ(p)/9, thus, the global form of the spectra is E(k) ~ k -β(p), The different simulations produce very different spatial distributions of the bio-tracers. Gabaldon J., Redondo J.M. (2009) Plankton vertical distribution in the ocean, CUM, XTDFTG in Advances in Environmental Turbulence. UPC, Barcelona. 212. Kraichnan, R.H.: (1966), 'Dispersion of particle pairs in homogeneous turbulence', Physics Fluids, 9, 1728. Kolmogorov, A. N. (1941). The local structure of turbulence in Incompressible viscous fluid at very large Reynolds numbers. C. R. Acad. Sci. URSS 30:301. Richardson, L. F. (1929). A search forr the law of atmosferic diffusion. Beitr. Phys. frei. Atmos. 15:24. Redondo J M (1991). The structure of density interfaces, Ph. D. Thesis, CUP, University of Cambridge. Rodríguez A, Sánchez-Arcilla A, Redondo JM, Mosso C (1999) Macroturbulence measurements with electromagnetic and ultrasonic sensors: a comparison under high-turbulent flows. Exp Fluids 27:31-42 Redondo J M (1987). Effects of ground proximity on dense gas entrainment, Journal of Hazardous Materials, 16, 381-393. Redondo J M, Sanchez M A and Cantalapiedra I R (1995). Turbulent Mechanisms in Stratified Flows, Dynamics of Atmospheres and Oceans, 23, 454-462. Mahjoub O.B., Redondo J.M. and Babiano A.(1998), Structure functions in complex flows, Applied Scientific Research, 59, 299. Mahjoub O.B., Redondo J.M. and Babiano A.,(2000) Hyerarchy flux in nonhomogeneous flows in Turbulent diffusion in the environment Eds. Redondo J.M. and Babiano A. 249-260. Redondo J.M., (1988) Difusion turbulenta por rejilla oscilante. Revista de Geofisica 44, 163-174,. Vindel, J. M., Yagüe, C., & Redondo, J. M. (2008). Structure function analysis and intermittency in the atmospheric boundary layer. Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics, 15(6), 915-929.

Study of Varying Boundary Layer Height on Turret Flow Structures

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

fluid dynamics. The difficulties of the problem arise in modeling several complex flow features including separation, reattachment, three-dimensional...impossible. In this case, the approach is to create a model to calculate the properties of interest. The main issue with resolving turbulent flows...operation and their effect is modeled through subgrid scale models . As a result, the the most important turbulent scales are resolved and the

How to Define the Mean Square Amplitude of Solar Wind Fluctuations With Respect to the Local Mean Magnetic Field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Podesta, John J.

2017-12-01

Over the last decade it has become popular to analyze turbulent solar wind fluctuations with respect to a coordinate system aligned with the local mean magnetic field. This useful analysis technique has provided new information and new insights about the nature of solar wind fluctuations and provided some support for phenomenological theories of MHD turbulence based on the ideas of Goldreich and Sridhar. At the same time it has drawn criticism suggesting that the use of a scale-dependent local mean field is somehow inconsistent or irreconcilable with traditional analysis techniques based on second-order structure functions and power spectra that, for stationary time series, are defined with respect to the constant (scale-independent) ensemble average magnetic field. Here it is shown that for fluctuations with power law spectra, such as those observed in solar wind turbulence, it is possible to define the local mean magnetic field in a special way such that the total mean square amplitude (trace amplitude) of turbulent fluctuations is approximately the same, scale by scale, as that obtained using traditional second-order structure functions or power spectra. This fact should dispel criticism concerning the physical validity or practical usefulness of the local mean magnetic field in these applications.

Geometry of tracer trajectories in rotating turbulent flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alards, Kim M. J.; Rajaei, Hadi; Del Castello, Lorenzo; Kunnen, Rudie P. J.; Toschi, Federico; Clercx, Herman J. H.

2017-04-01

The geometry of passive tracer trajectories is studied in two different types of rotating turbulent flows; rotating Rayleigh-Bénard convection (RBC; experiments and direct numerical simulations) and rotating electromagnetically forced turbulence (EFT; experiments). This geometry is fully described by the curvature and torsion of trajectories, and from these geometrical quantities we can subtract information on the typical flow structures at different rotation rates. Previous studies, focusing on nonrotating homogeneous isotropic turbulence (HIT), show that the probability density functions (PDFs) of curvature and torsion reveal pronounced power laws. However, the set-ups studied here involve inhomogeneous turbulence, and in RBC the flow near the horizontal plates is definitely anisotropic. We investigate how the typical shapes of the curvature and torsion PDFs, including the pronounced scaling laws, are influenced by this level of anisotropy and inhomogeneity and how this effect changes with rotation. A first effect of rotation is observed as a shift of the curvature and torsion PDFs towards higher values in the case of RBC and towards lower values in the case of EFT. This shift is related to the length scale of typical vortical structures that decreases with rotation in RBC, but increases with rotation in EFT, explaining the opposite shifts of the curvature (and torsion) PDFs. A second remarkable observation is that in RBC the HIT scaling laws are always recovered, as long as the boundary layer (BL) is excluded. This suggests that these scaling laws are very robust and hold as long as we measure in the turbulent bulk. In the BL of the RBC cell, however, the scaling deviates from the HIT prediction for lower rotation rates. This scaling behavior is found to be consistent with the coupling between the boundary layer dynamics and the bulk flow, which changes under rotation. In particular, it is found that the active coupling of the Ekman-type boundary layer with the bulk flow suppresses anisotropy in the BL region for increasing rotation rates.

Ion-scale turbulence in MAST: anomalous transport, subcritical transitions, and comparison to BES measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Wyk, F.; Highcock, E. G.; Field, A. R.; Roach, C. M.; Schekochihin, A. A.; Parra, F. I.; Dorland, W.

2017-11-01

We investigate the effect of varying the ion temperature gradient (ITG) and toroidal equilibrium scale sheared flow on ion-scale turbulence in the outer core of MAST by means of local gyrokinetic simulations. We show that nonlinear simulations reproduce the experimental ion heat flux and that the experimentally measured values of the ITG and the flow shear lie close to the turbulence threshold. We demonstrate that the system is subcritical in the presence of flow shear, i.e., the system is formally stable to small perturbations, but transitions to a turbulent state given a large enough initial perturbation. We propose that the transition to subcritical turbulence occurs via an intermediate state dominated by low number of coherent long-lived structures, close to threshold, which increase in number as the system is taken away from the threshold into the more strongly turbulent regime, until they fill the domain and a more conventional turbulence emerges. We show that the properties of turbulence are effectively functions of the distance to threshold, as quantified by the ion heat flux. We make quantitative comparisons of correlation lengths, times, and amplitudes between our simulations and experimental measurements using the MAST BES diagnostic. We find reasonable agreement of the correlation properties, most notably of the correlation time, for which significant discrepancies were found in previous numerical studies of MAST turbulence.

Scale growth of structures in the turbulent boundary layer with a rod-roughened wall

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Jin; Kim, Jung Hoon; Lee, Jae Hwa

2016-01-01

Direct numerical simulation of a turbulent boundary layer over a rod-roughened wall is performed with a long streamwise domain to examine the streamwise-scale growth mechanism of streamwise velocity fluctuating structures in the presence of two-dimensional (2-D) surface roughness. An instantaneous analysis shows that there is a slightly larger population of long structures with a small helix angle (spanwise inclinations relative to streamwise) and a large spanwise width over the rough-wall compared to that over a smooth-wall. Further inspection of time-evolving instantaneous fields clearly exhibits that adjacent long structures combine to form a longer structure through a spanwise merging process over the rough-wall; moreover, spanwise merging for streamwise scale growth is expected to occur frequently over the rough-wall due to the large spanwise scales generated by the 2-D roughness. Finally, we examine the influence of a large width and a small helix angle of the structures over the rough-wall with regard to spatial two-point correlation. The results show that these factors can increase the streamwise coherence of the structures in a statistical sense.

Energy Dissipation and Phase-Space Dynamics in Eulerian Vlasov-Maxwell Turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tenbarge, Jason; Juno, James; Hakim, Ammar

2017-10-01

Turbulence in a magnetized plasma is a primary mechanism responsible for transforming energy at large injection scales into small-scale motions, which are ultimately dissipated as heat in systems such as the solar corona, wind, and other astrophysical objects. At large scales, the turbulence is well described by fluid models of the plasma; however, understanding the processes responsible for heating a weakly collisional plasma such as the solar wind requires a kinetic description. We present a fully kinetic Eulerian Vlasov-Maxwell study of turbulence using the Gkeyll simulation framework, including studies of the cascade of energy in phase space and formation and dissipation of coherent structures. We also leverage the recently developed field-particle correlations to diagnose the dominant sources of dissipation and compare the results of the field-particle correlation to other dissipation measures. NSF SHINE AGS-1622306 and DOE DE-AC02-09CH11466.

Perspectives on scaling and multiscaling in passive scalar turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Banerjee, Tirthankar; Basu, Abhik

2018-05-01

We revisit the well-known problem of multiscaling in substances passively advected by homogeneous and isotropic turbulent flows or passive scalar turbulence. To that end we propose a two-parameter continuum hydrodynamic model for an advected substance concentration θ , parametrized jointly by y and y ¯, that characterize the spatial scaling behavior of the variances of the advecting stochastic velocity and the stochastic additive driving force, respectively. We analyze it within a one-loop dynamic renormalization group method to calculate the multiscaling exponents of the equal-time structure functions of θ . We show how the interplay between the advective velocity and the additive force may lead to simple scaling or multiscaling. In one limit, our results reduce to the well-known results from the Kraichnan model for passive scalar. Our framework of analysis should be of help for analytical approaches for the still intractable problem of fluid turbulence itself.

Airframe-Jet Engine Integration Noise

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tam, Christopher; Antcliff, Richard R. (Technical Monitor)

2003-01-01

It has been found experimentally that the noise radiated by a jet mounted under the wing of an aircraft exceeds that of the same jet in a stand-alone environment. The increase in noise is referred to as jet engine airframe integration noise. The objectives of the present investigation are, (1) To obtain a better understanding of the physical mechanisms responsible for jet engine airframe integration noise or installation noise. (2) To develop a prediction model for jet engine airframe integration noise. It is known that jet mixing noise consists of two principal components. They are the noise from the large turbulence structures of the jet flow and the noise from the fine scale turbulence. In this investigation, only the effect of jet engine airframe interaction on the fine scale turbulence noise of a jet is studied. The fine scale turbulence noise is the dominant noise component in the sideline direction. Thus we limit out consideration primarily to the sideline.

A New View of the Dynamics of Reynolds Stress Generation in Turbulent Boundary Layers

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cantwell, Brian J.; Chacin, Juan M.

1998-01-01

The structure of a numerically simulated turbulent boundary layer over a flat plate at Re(theta) = 670 was studied using the invariants of the velocity gradient tensor (Q and R) and a related scalar quantity, the cubic discriminant (D = 27R(exp 2)/4 + Q(exp 3)). These invariants have previously been used to study the properties of the small-scale motions responsible for the dissipation of turbulent kinetic energy. In addition, these scalar quantities allow the local flow patterns to be unambiguously classified according to the terminology proposed by Chong et al. The use of the discriminant as a marker of coherent motions reveals complex, large-scale flow structures that are shown to be associated with the generation of Reynolds shear stress -u'v'(bar). These motions are characterized by high spatial gradients of the discriminant and are believed to be an important part of the mechanism that sustains turbulence in the near-wall region.

Cell structures caused by settling particles in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Changhoon; Park, Sangro

2016-11-01

Turbulent thermal convection is an important phenomenon frequently found in nature and industrial processes, often with laden particles. In the last several decades, the vast majority of studies have addressed single phase convective flow with focus on the scaling relation of flow parameters associated with heat transfer. Particle-laden Rayleigh-Bénard convection, however, has not been sufficiently studied. In this study, modulation of cell structures by settling particles in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection in a doubly periodic square channel is investigated using direct numerical simulation with a point particle approach. Flow parameters are fixed at Rayleigh number=106, Prandtl number=0.7, the aspect ratio=6, and Froude number=0.19. We report from the simulations that settling heavy particles modulate irregular large-scale thermal plume structures into organized polygonal cell structures. Different shapes of flow structures are obtained for different particle diameters and mass loadings. We found that polygonal cell structures arise due to asymmetric feedback force exerted by particles onto hot and cold plumes. Increasing the number of particles augments the asymmetry and the polygonal cell structures become smaller, eventually going to the hexagonal structures.

Bursting process of large- and small-scale structures in turbulent boundary layer perturbed by a cylinder roughness element

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Zhanqi; Jiang, Nan; Zheng, Xiaobo; Wu, Yanhua

2016-05-01

Hot-wire measurements on a turbulent boundary layer flow perturbed by a wall-mounted cylinder roughness element (CRE) are carried out in this study. The cylindrical element protrudes into the logarithmic layer, which is similar to those employed in turbulent boundary layers by Ryan et al. (AIAA J 49:2210-2220, 2011. doi: 10.2514/1.j051012) and Zheng and Longmire (J Fluid Mech 748:368-398, 2014. doi: 10.1017/jfm.2014.185) and in turbulent channel flow by Pathikonda and Christensen (AIAA J 53:1-10, 2014. doi: 10.2514/1.j053407). The similar effects on both the mean velocity and Reynolds stress are observed downstream of the CRE perturbation. The series of hot-wire data are decomposed into large- and small-scale fluctuations, and the characteristics of large- and small-scale bursting process are observed, by comparing the bursting duration, period and frequency between CRE-perturbed case and unperturbed case. It is indicated that the CRE perturbation performs the significant impact on the large- and small-scale structures, but within the different impact scenario. Moreover, the large-scale bursting process imposes a modulation on the bursting events of small-scale fluctuations and the overall trend of modulation is not essentially sensitive to the present CRE perturbation, even the modulation extent is modified. The conditionally averaging fluctuations are also plotted, which further confirms the robustness of the bursting modulation in the present experiments.

PIV study of flow through porous structure using refractive index matching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Häfeli, Richard; Altheimer, Marco; Butscher, Denis; Rudolf von Rohr, Philipp

2014-05-01

An aqueous solution of sodium iodide and zinc iodide is proposed as a fluid that matches the refractive index of a solid manufactured by rapid prototyping. This enabled optical measurements in single-phase flow through porous structures. Experiments were also done with an organic index-matching fluid (anisole) in porous structures of different dimensions. To compare experiments with different viscosities and dimensions, we employed Reynolds similarity to deduce the scaling laws. One of the target quantities of our investigation was the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy. Different models for the dissipation rate estimation were evaluated by comparing isotropy ratios. As in many other studies also, our experiments were not capable of resolving the velocity field down to the Kolmogorov length scale, and therefore, the dissipation rate has to be considered as underestimated. This is visible in experiments of different relative resolutions. However, being near the Kolmogorov scale allows estimating a reproducible, yet underestimated spatial distribution of dissipation rate inside the porous structure. Based on these results, the model was used to estimate the turbulent diffusivity. Comparing it to the dispersion coefficient obtained in the same porous structure, we conclude that even at the turbulent diffusivity makes up only a small part of mass transfer in axial direction. The main part is therefore attributed to Taylor dispersion.

A dispersion relationship governing incompressible wall turbulence

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tsuge, S.

1978-01-01

The method of separation of variables is shown to make turbulent correlation equations of Karman-Howarth type tractable for shear turbulence as well under the condition of neglected triple correlation. The separated dependent variable obeys an Orr-Sommerfeld equation. A new analytical method is developed using a scaling law different from the classical one due to Heisenberg and Lin and more appropriate for wall turbulent profiles. A dispersion relationship between the wave number and the separation constant which has the dimension of a frequency is derived in support of experimental observations of wave or coherent structure of wall turbulence.

The relation between skin friction fluctuations and turbulent fluctuating velocities in turbulent boundary layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diaz Daniel, Carlos; Laizet, Sylvain; Vassilicos, John Christos

2015-11-01

The Townsend-Perry hypothesis of wall-attached eddies relates the friction velocity uτ at the wall to velocity fluctuations at a position y from the wall, resulting in a wavenumber range where the streamwise fluctuating velocity spectrum scales as E (k) ~k-1 and the corresponding structure function scales as uτ2 in the corresponding length-scale range. However, this model does not take in account the fluctuations of the skin friction velocity, which are in fact strongly intermittent. A DNS of zero-pressure gradient turbulent boundary layer suggests a 10 to 15 degree angle from the lag of the peak in the cross-correlations between the fluctuations of the shear stress and streamwise fluctuating velocities at different heights in the boundary layer. Using this result, it is possible to refine the definition of the attached eddy range of scales, and our DNS suggests that, in this range, the second order structure function depends on filtered skin friction fluctuations in a way which is about the same at different distances from the wall and different local Reynolds numbers.

Small-scale behavior in distorted turbulent boundary layers at low Reynolds number

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saddoughi, Seyed G.

1994-01-01

During the last three years we have conducted high- and low-Reynolds-number experiments, including hot-wire measurements of the velocity fluctuations, in the test-section-ceiling boundary layer of the 80- by 120-foot Full-Scale Aerodynamics Facility at NASA Ames Research Center, to test the local-isotropy predictions of Kolmogorov's universal equilibrium theory. This hypothesis, which states that at sufficiently high Reynolds numbers the small-scale structures of turbulent motions are independent of large-scale structures and mean deformations, has been used in theoretical studies of turbulence and computational methods such as large-eddy simulation; however, its range of validity in shear flows has been a subject of controversy. The present experiments were planned to enhance our understanding of the local-isotropy hypothesis. Our experiments were divided into two sets. First, measurements were taken at different Reynolds numbers in a plane boundary layer, which is a 'simple' shear flow. Second, experiments were designed to address this question: will our criteria for the existence of local isotropy hold for 'complex' nonequilibrium flows in which extra rates of mean strain are added to the basic mean shear?

Turbulent Structures in a Pine Forest with a Deep and Sparse Trunk Space: Stand and Edge Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dupont, Sylvain; Irvine, Mark R.; Bonnefond, Jean-Marc; Lamaud, Eric; Brunet, Yves

2012-05-01

Forested landscapes often exhibit large spatial variability in vertical and horizontal foliage distributions. This variability may affect canopy-atmosphere exchanges through its action on the development of turbulent structures. Here we investigate in neutral stratification the turbulent structures encountered in a maritime pine forest characterized by a high, dense foliated layer associated with a deep and sparse trunk space. Both stand and edge regions are considered. In situ measurements and the results of large-eddy simulations are used and analyzed together. In stand conditions, far from the edge, canopy-top structures appear strongly damped by the dense crown layer. Turbulent wind fluctuations within the trunk space, where the momentum flux vanishes, are closely related to these canopy-top structures through pressure diffusion. Consequently, autocorrelation and spectral analyses are not quite appropriate to characterize the vertical scale of coherent structures in this type of canopy, as pressure diffusion enhances the actual scale of structures. At frequencies higher than those associated with canopy-top structures, wind fluctuations related to wake structures developing behind tree stems are observed within the trunk space. They manifest themselves in wind velocity spectra as secondary peaks in the inertial subrange region, confirming the hypothesis of spectral short-cuts in vegetation canopies. In the edge region specific turbulent structures develop just below the crown layer, in addition to canopy-top structures. They are generated by the wind shear induced by the sub-canopy wind jet that forms at the edge. These structures provide a momentum exchange mechanism similar to that observed at the canopy top but in the opposite direction and with a lower magnitude. They may develop as in plane mixing-layer flows, with some perturbations induced by canopy-top structures. Wake structures are also observed within the trunk space in the edge region.

Effects of Langmuir Turbulence on Reactive Tracers in the Upper Ocean

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, K.; Hamlington, P.; Niemeyer, K.; Fox-Kemper, B.; Lovenduski, N. S.

2017-12-01

Reactive tracers such as carbonate chemical species play important roles in the oceanic carbon cycle, allowing the ocean to hold 60 times more carbon than the atmosphere. However, uncertainties in regional ocean sinks for anthropogenic CO2 are still relatively high. Many carbonate species are non-conserved, flux across the air-sea interface, and react on time scales similar to those of ocean turbulent processes, such as small-scale wave-driven Langmuir turbulence. All of this complexity gives rise to heterogeneous tracer distributions that are not fully understood and can greatly affect the rate at which CO2 fluxes across the air-sea interface. In order to more accurately model the biogeochemistry of the ocean in Earth system models (ESMs), a better understanding of the fundamental interactions between these reactive tracers and relevant turbulent processes is required. Research on reacting flows in other contexts has shown that the most significant tracer-flow couplings occur when coherent structures in the flow have timescales that rival reaction time scales. Langmuir turbulence, a 3D, small-scale, wave-driven process, has length and time scales on the order of O(1-100m) and O(1-10min), respectively. Once CO2 transfers across the air-sea interface, it reacts with seawater in a series of reactions whose rate limiting steps have time scales of 10-25s. This similarity in scales warrants further examination into interactions between these small-scale physical and chemical processes. In this presentation, large eddy simulations are used to examine the evolution of reactive tracers in the presence of realistic upper ocean wave- and shear-driven turbulence. The reactive tracers examined are those specifically involved in non-biological carbonate chemistry. The strength of Langmuir turbulence is varied in order to determine a relationship between the degree of enhancement (or reduction) of carbon that is fluxed across the air-sea interface due to the presence of Langmuir turbulence. By examining different reaction chemistry and surface forcing scenarios, the coupled turbulence-reactive tracer dynamics are connected with spatial and statistical properties of the resulting tracer fields. These results, along with implications for development of reduced order reactive tracer models, are discussed.

Skin Friction Reduction Through Large-Scale Forcing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhatt, Shibani; Artham, Sravan; Gnanamanickam, Ebenezer

2017-11-01

Flow structures in a turbulent boundary layer larger than an integral length scale (δ), referred to as large-scales, interact with the finer scales in a non-linear manner. By targeting these large-scales and exploiting this non-linear interaction wall shear stress (WSS) reduction of over 10% has been achieved. The plane wall jet (PWJ), a boundary layer which has highly energetic large-scales that become turbulent independent of the near-wall finer scales, is the chosen model flow field. It's unique configuration allows for the independent control of the large-scales through acoustic forcing. Perturbation wavelengths from about 1 δ to 14 δ were considered with a reduction in WSS for all wavelengths considered. This reduction, over a large subset of the wavelengths, scales with both inner and outer variables indicating a mixed scaling to the underlying physics, while also showing dependence on the PWJ global properties. A triple decomposition of the velocity fields shows an increase in coherence due to forcing with a clear organization of the small scale turbulence with respect to the introduced large-scale. The maximum reduction in WSS occurs when the introduced large-scale acts in a manner so as to reduce the turbulent activity in the very near wall region. This material is based upon work supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research under Award Number FA9550-16-1-0194 monitored by Dr. Douglas Smith.

Development of Large-Eddy Interaction Model for inhomogeneous turbulent flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hong, S. K.; Payne, F. R.

1987-01-01

The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the applicability of a currently proposed model, with minimum empiricism, for calculation of the Reynolds stresses and other turbulence structural quantities in a channel. The current Large-Eddy Interaction Model not only yields Reynolds stresses but also presents an opportunity to illuminate typical characteristic motions of large-scale turbulence and the phenomenological aspects of engineering models for two Reynolds numbers.

Bioinspired surfaces for turbulent drag reduction

PubMed Central

Golovin, Kevin B.; Gose, James W.; Perlin, Marc; Ceccio, Steven L.; Tuteja, Anish

2016-01-01

In this review, we discuss how superhydrophobic surfaces (SHSs) can provide friction drag reduction in turbulent flow. Whereas biomimetic SHSs are known to reduce drag in laminar flow, turbulence adds many new challenges. We first provide an overview on designing SHSs, and how these surfaces can cause slip in the laminar regime. We then discuss recent studies evaluating drag on SHSs in turbulent flow, both computationally and experimentally. The effects of streamwise and spanwise slip for canonical, structured surfaces are well characterized by direct numerical simulations, and several experimental studies have validated these results. However, the complex and hierarchical textures of scalable SHSs that can be applied over large areas generate additional complications. Many studies on such surfaces have measured no drag reduction, or even a drag increase in turbulent flow. We discuss how surface wettability, roughness effects and some newly found scaling laws can help explain these varied results. Overall, we discuss how, to effectively reduce drag in turbulent flow, an SHS should have: preferentially streamwise-aligned features to enhance favourable slip, a capillary resistance of the order of megapascals, and a roughness no larger than 0.5, when non-dimensionalized by the viscous length scale. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Bioinspired hierarchically structured surfaces for green science’. PMID:27354731

The self-preservation of dissipation elements in homogeneous isotropic decaying turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gauding, Michael; Danaila, Luminita; Varea, Emilien

2017-11-01

The concept of self-preservation has played an important role in shaping the understanding of turbulent flows. The assumption of complete self-preservation imposes certain constrains on the dynamics of the flow, allowing to express statistics by choosing an appropriate unique length scale. Another approach in turbulence research is to study the dynamics of geometrical objects, like dissipation elements (DE). DE appear as coherent space-filling structures in turbulent scalar fields and can be parameterized by the linear length between their ending points. This distance is a natural length scale that provides information about the local structure of turbulence. In this work, the evolution of DE in decaying turbulence is investigated from a self-preservation perspective. The analysis is based on data obtained from direct numerical simulations (DNS). The temporal evolution of DE is governed by a complex process, involving cutting and reconnection events, which change the number and consequently also the length of DE. An analysis of the evolution equation for the probability density function of the length of DE is carried out and leads to specific constraints for the self-preservation of DE, which are justified from DNS. Financial support was provided by Labex EMC3 (under the Grant VAVIDEN), Normandy Region and FEDER.

Bioinspired surfaces for turbulent drag reduction.

PubMed

Golovin, Kevin B; Gose, James W; Perlin, Marc; Ceccio, Steven L; Tuteja, Anish

2016-08-06

In this review, we discuss how superhydrophobic surfaces (SHSs) can provide friction drag reduction in turbulent flow. Whereas biomimetic SHSs are known to reduce drag in laminar flow, turbulence adds many new challenges. We first provide an overview on designing SHSs, and how these surfaces can cause slip in the laminar regime. We then discuss recent studies evaluating drag on SHSs in turbulent flow, both computationally and experimentally. The effects of streamwise and spanwise slip for canonical, structured surfaces are well characterized by direct numerical simulations, and several experimental studies have validated these results. However, the complex and hierarchical textures of scalable SHSs that can be applied over large areas generate additional complications. Many studies on such surfaces have measured no drag reduction, or even a drag increase in turbulent flow. We discuss how surface wettability, roughness effects and some newly found scaling laws can help explain these varied results. Overall, we discuss how, to effectively reduce drag in turbulent flow, an SHS should have: preferentially streamwise-aligned features to enhance favourable slip, a capillary resistance of the order of megapascals, and a roughness no larger than 0.5, when non-dimensionalized by the viscous length scale.This article is part of the themed issue 'Bioinspired hierarchically structured surfaces for green science'. © 2016 The Author(s).

A dynamical model of plasma turbulence in the solar wind

PubMed Central

Howes, G. G.

2015-01-01

A dynamical approach, rather than the usual statistical approach, is taken to explore the physical mechanisms underlying the nonlinear transfer of energy, the damping of the turbulent fluctuations, and the development of coherent structures in kinetic plasma turbulence. It is argued that the linear and nonlinear dynamics of Alfvén waves are responsible, at a very fundamental level, for some of the key qualitative features of plasma turbulence that distinguish it from hydrodynamic turbulence, including the anisotropic cascade of energy and the development of current sheets at small scales. The first dynamical model of kinetic turbulence in the weakly collisional solar wind plasma that combines self-consistently the physics of Alfvén waves with the development of small-scale current sheets is presented and its physical implications are discussed. This model leads to a simplified perspective on the nature of turbulence in a weakly collisional plasma: the nonlinear interactions responsible for the turbulent cascade of energy and the formation of current sheets are essentially fluid in nature, while the collisionless damping of the turbulent fluctuations and the energy injection by kinetic instabilities are essentially kinetic in nature. PMID:25848075

Similarity Scaling for the Inner Region of the Turbulent Boundary Layer

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-20

Turan , O., Anderson, C, and Castillo, L., "Outer Scaling in Turbulent Boundary Layers," AIAA 2005-4814 (2005). 25 [28] Townsend, A ., The Structure of...for failing to comply with a collection of information if it does not display a currently valid OMB control number. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN YOUR FORM TO...2010-0012 12. DISTRIBUTION / AVAILABILITY STATEMENT DISTRIBUTION A : APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE: DISTRIBUTION UNLIMITED 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

Turbulence and entrainment length scales in large wind farms.

PubMed

Andersen, Søren J; Sørensen, Jens N; Mikkelsen, Robert F

2017-04-13

A number of large wind farms are modelled using large eddy simulations to elucidate the entrainment process. A reference simulation without turbines and three farm simulations with different degrees of imposed atmospheric turbulence are presented. The entrainment process is assessed using proper orthogonal decomposition, which is employed to detect the largest and most energetic coherent turbulent structures. The dominant length scales responsible for the entrainment process are shown to grow further into the wind farm, but to be limited in extent by the streamwise turbine spacing, which could be taken into account when developing farm layouts. The self-organized motion or large coherent structures also yield high correlations between the power productions of consecutive turbines, which can be exploited through dynamic farm control.This article is part of the themed issue 'Wind energy in complex terrains'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Turbulence and entrainment length scales in large wind farms

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

A number of large wind farms are modelled using large eddy simulations to elucidate the entrainment process. A reference simulation without turbines and three farm simulations with different degrees of imposed atmospheric turbulence are presented. The entrainment process is assessed using proper orthogonal decomposition, which is employed to detect the largest and most energetic coherent turbulent structures. The dominant length scales responsible for the entrainment process are shown to grow further into the wind farm, but to be limited in extent by the streamwise turbine spacing, which could be taken into account when developing farm layouts. The self-organized motion or large coherent structures also yield high correlations between the power productions of consecutive turbines, which can be exploited through dynamic farm control. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Wind energy in complex terrains’. PMID:28265028

Numerical investigation of turbulent channel flow

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moin, P.; Kim, J.

1981-01-01

Fully developed turbulent channel flow was simulated numerically at Reynolds number 13800, based on centerline velocity and channel halt width. The large-scale flow field was obtained by directly integrating the filtered, three dimensional, time dependent, Navier-Stokes equations. The small-scale field motions were simulated through an eddy viscosity model. The calculations were carried out on the ILLIAC IV computer with up to 516,096 grid points. The computed flow field was used to study the statistical properties of the flow as well as its time dependent features. The agreement of the computed mean velocity profile, turbulence statistics, and detailed flow structures with experimental data is good. The resolvable portion of the statistical correlations appearing in the Reynolds stress equations are calculated. Particular attention is given to the examination of the flow structure in the vicinity of the wall.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Xu, Siyao; Zhang, Bing, E-mail: syxu@pku.edu.cn, E-mail: zhang@physics.unlv.edu

Fast radio bursts (FRBs) have been identified as extragalactic sources that can probe turbulence in the intergalactic medium (IGM) and their host galaxies. To account for the observed millisecond pulses caused by scatter broadening, we examine a variety of possible electron density fluctuation models in both the IGM and the host galaxy medium. We find that a short-wave-dominated power-law spectrum of density, which may arise in highly supersonic turbulence with pronounced local dense structures of shock-compressed gas in the host interstellar medium (ISM), can produce the required density enhancements at sufficiently small scales to interpret the scattering timescale of FRBs.more » This implies that an FRB residing in a galaxy with efficient star formation in action tends to have a broadened pulse. The scaling of the scattering time with the dispersion measure (DM) in the host galaxy varies in different turbulence and scattering regimes. The host galaxy can be the major origin of scatter broadening, but contributes to a small fraction of the total DM. We also find that the sheet-like structure of the density in the host ISM associated with folded magnetic fields in a viscosity-dominated regime of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence cannot give rise to strong scattering. Furthermore, valuable insights into the IGM turbulence concerning the detailed spatial structure of density and magnetic field can be gained from the observed scattering timescale of FRBs. Our results favor the suppression of micro-plasma instabilities and the validity of the collisional-MHD description of turbulence properties in the collisionless IGM.« less

Vertically migrating swimmers generate aggregation-scale eddies in a stratified column.

PubMed

Houghton, Isabel A; Koseff, Jeffrey R; Monismith, Stephen G; Dabiri, John O

2018-04-01

Biologically generated turbulence has been proposed as an important contributor to nutrient transport and ocean mixing 1-3 . However, to produce non-negligible transport and mixing, such turbulence must produce eddies at scales comparable to the length scales of stratification in the ocean. It has previously been argued that biologically generated turbulence is limited to the scale of the individual animals involved 4 , which would make turbulence created by highly abundant centimetre-scale zooplankton such as krill irrelevant to ocean mixing. Their small size notwithstanding, zooplankton form dense aggregations tens of metres in vertical extent as they undergo diurnal vertical migration over hundreds of metres 3,5,6 . This behaviour potentially introduces additional length scales-such as the scale of the aggregation-that are of relevance to animal interactions with the surrounding water column. Here we show that the collective vertical migration of centimetre-scale swimmers-as represented by the brine shrimp Artemia salina-generates aggregation-scale eddies that mix a stable density stratification, resulting in an effective turbulent diffusivity up to three orders of magnitude larger than the molecular diffusivity of salt. These observed large-scale mixing eddies are the result of flow in the wakes of the individual organisms coalescing to form a large-scale downward jet during upward swimming, even in the presence of a strong density stratification relative to typical values observed in the ocean. The results illustrate the potential for marine zooplankton to considerably alter the physical and biogeochemical structure of the water column, with potentially widespread effects owing to their high abundance in climatically important regions of the ocean 7 .

Influence of coherent structures on the evolution of an axisymmetric turbulent jet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breda, Massimiliano; Buxton, Oliver R. H.

2018-03-01

The role of initial conditions in affecting the evolution toward self-similarity of an axisymmetric turbulent jet is examined. The jet's near-field coherence was manipulated by non-circular exit geometries of identical open area, De2, including a square and a fractal exit, for comparison with a classical round orifice jet. Hot-wire anemometry and 2D-planar particle image velocimetry experiments were performed between the exit and a location 26De downstream, where the Reynolds stress profiles are self-similar. This study shows that a fractal geometry significantly changes the near-field structure of the jet, breaking up the large-scale coherent structures, thereby affecting the entrainment rate of the background fluid into the jet stream. It is found that many of the jet's turbulent characteristics scale with the number of eddy turnover times rather than simply the streamwise coordinate, with the entrainment rate (amongst others) found to be comparable across the different jets after approximately 3-4 eddies have been overturned. The study is concluded by investigating the jet's evolution toward a self-similar state. No differences are found for the large-scale spreading rate of the jets in the weakly self-similar region, so defined as the region for which some, but not all of the terms of the mean turbulent kinetic energy equation are self-similar. However, the dissipation rate of the turbulent kinetic energy was found to vary more gradually in x than predicted according to the classical equilibrium theories of Kolmogorov. Instead, the dissipation was found to vary in a non-equilibrium fashion for all three jets tested.

Study of the Transition from MRI to Magnetic Turbulence via Parasitic Instability by a High-order MHD Simulation Code

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hirai, Kenichiro; Katoh, Yuto; Terada, Naoki; Kawai, Soshi

2018-02-01

Magnetic turbulence in accretion disks under ideal magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) conditions is expected to be driven by the magneto-rotational instability (MRI) followed by secondary parasitic instabilities. We develop a three-dimensional ideal MHD code that can accurately resolve turbulent structures, and carry out simulations with a net vertical magnetic field in a local shearing box disk model to investigate the role of parasitic instabilities in the formation process of magnetic turbulence. Our simulations reveal that a highly anisotropic Kelvin–Helmholtz (K–H) mode parasitic instability evolves just before the first peak in turbulent stress and then breaks large-scale shear flows created by MRI. The wavenumber of the enhanced parasitic instability is larger than the theoretical estimate, because the shear flow layers sometimes become thinner than those assumed in the linear analysis. We also find that interaction between antiparallel vortices caused by the K–H mode parasitic instability induces small-scale waves that break the shear flows. On the other hand, at repeated peaks in the nonlinear phase, anisotropic wavenumber spectra are observed only in the small wavenumber region and isotropic waves dominate at large wavenumbers unlike for the first peak. Restructured channel flows due to MRI at the peaks in nonlinear phase seem to be collapsed by the advection of small-scale shear structures into the restructured flow and resultant mixing.

Coherent Structures and Spectral Energy Transfer in Turbulent Plasma: A Space-Filter Approach.

PubMed

Camporeale, E; Sorriso-Valvo, L; Califano, F; Retinò, A

2018-03-23

Plasma turbulence at scales of the order of the ion inertial length is mediated by several mechanisms, including linear wave damping, magnetic reconnection, the formation and dissipation of thin current sheets, and stochastic heating. It is now understood that the presence of localized coherent structures enhances the dissipation channels and the kinetic features of the plasma. However, no formal way of quantifying the relationship between scale-to-scale energy transfer and the presence of spatial structures has been presented so far. In the Letter we quantify such a relationship analyzing the results of a two-dimensional high-resolution Hall magnetohydrodynamic simulation. In particular, we employ the technique of space filtering to derive a spectral energy flux term which defines, in any point of the computational domain, the signed flux of spectral energy across a given wave number. The characterization of coherent structures is performed by means of a traditional two-dimensional wavelet transformation. By studying the correlation between the spectral energy flux and the wavelet amplitude, we demonstrate the strong relationship between scale-to-scale transfer and coherent structures. Furthermore, by conditioning one quantity with respect to the other, we are able for the first time to quantify the inhomogeneity of the turbulence cascade induced by topological structures in the magnetic field. Taking into account the low space-filling factor of coherent structures (i.e., they cover a small portion of space), it emerges that 80% of the spectral energy transfer (both in the direct and inverse cascade directions) is localized in about 50% of space, and 50% of the energy transfer is localized in only 25% of space.

Coherent Structures and Spectral Energy Transfer in Turbulent Plasma: A Space-Filter Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Camporeale, E.; Sorriso-Valvo, L.; Califano, F.; Retinò, A.

2018-03-01

Plasma turbulence at scales of the order of the ion inertial length is mediated by several mechanisms, including linear wave damping, magnetic reconnection, the formation and dissipation of thin current sheets, and stochastic heating. It is now understood that the presence of localized coherent structures enhances the dissipation channels and the kinetic features of the plasma. However, no formal way of quantifying the relationship between scale-to-scale energy transfer and the presence of spatial structures has been presented so far. In the Letter we quantify such a relationship analyzing the results of a two-dimensional high-resolution Hall magnetohydrodynamic simulation. In particular, we employ the technique of space filtering to derive a spectral energy flux term which defines, in any point of the computational domain, the signed flux of spectral energy across a given wave number. The characterization of coherent structures is performed by means of a traditional two-dimensional wavelet transformation. By studying the correlation between the spectral energy flux and the wavelet amplitude, we demonstrate the strong relationship between scale-to-scale transfer and coherent structures. Furthermore, by conditioning one quantity with respect to the other, we are able for the first time to quantify the inhomogeneity of the turbulence cascade induced by topological structures in the magnetic field. Taking into account the low space-filling factor of coherent structures (i.e., they cover a small portion of space), it emerges that 80% of the spectral energy transfer (both in the direct and inverse cascade directions) is localized in about 50% of space, and 50% of the energy transfer is localized in only 25% of space.

An extended algebraic variational multiscale-multigrid-multifractal method (XAVM4) for large-eddy simulation of turbulent two-phase flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rasthofer, U.; Wall, W. A.; Gravemeier, V.

2018-04-01

A novel and comprehensive computational method, referred to as the eXtended Algebraic Variational Multiscale-Multigrid-Multifractal Method (XAVM4), is proposed for large-eddy simulation of the particularly challenging problem of turbulent two-phase flow. The XAVM4 involves multifractal subgrid-scale modeling as well as a Nitsche-type extended finite element method as an approach for two-phase flow. The application of an advanced structural subgrid-scale modeling approach in conjunction with a sharp representation of the discontinuities at the interface between two bulk fluids promise high-fidelity large-eddy simulation of turbulent two-phase flow. The high potential of the XAVM4 is demonstrated for large-eddy simulation of turbulent two-phase bubbly channel flow, that is, turbulent channel flow carrying a single large bubble of the size of the channel half-width in this particular application.

Coagulation of grains in static and collapsing protostellar clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weidenschilling, S. J.; Ruzmaikina, T. V.

1994-01-01

We simulate collisional evolution of grains in dense turbulent molecular cloud cores (or Bok globules) in static equilibrium and free-fall collapse, assuming spherical symmetry. Relative velocities are due to thermal motions, differential settling, and turbulence, with the latter dominant for sonic turbulence with an assumed Kolmogorov spectrum. Realistic criteria are used to determine outcomes of collisions (coagulation vs. destruction) as functions of particle size and velocity. Results are presented for a variety of cloud parameters (radial density profile, turbulent velocity) and particle properties (density, impact strength). Results are sensitive to the assumed mechanical properties (density and impact strength) of grain aggregates. Particle growth is enhanced if aggregates have low density or fractal structures. On a timescale of a few Myr, an initial population of 0.1 micrometers grains may produce dense compact particles approximately 1 micrometer in size, or fluffy aggregates approximately 100 micrometers. For impact strengths less than or equal to 10(exp 6) ergs/g, a steady state is reached between coagulation of small grains and collisional disruption of larger aggregates. Formation of macroscopic aggregates requires high mechanical strengths and low aggregate densities. We assume sonic turbulence during collapse, with varied eddy size scales determining the dissipation rate or turbulence strength. The degree of collisional evolution during collapse is sensitive to the assumed small-scale structure (inner sc ale) of the turbulence. Weak turbulence results in few collisions and preserves the precollapse particle size distribution with little change. Strong turbulence tends to produce net destruction, rather than particle growth, during infall, unless inpact strengths are greater than 10(exp 6)ergs/g.

Turbulence decay downstream of an active grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bewley, Gregory; Bodenschatz, Eberhard

2015-11-01

A grid in a wind tunnel stirs up turbulence that has a certain large-scale structure. The moving parts in a so-called ``active grid'' can be programmed to produce different structures. We use a special active grid in which each of 129 paddles on the grid has its own position-controlled servomotor that can move independently of the others. We observe among other things that the anisotropy in the amplitude of the velocity fluctuations and in the correlation lengths can be set and varied with an algorithm that oscillates the paddles in a specified way. The variation in the anisotropies that we observe can be explained by our earlier analysis of anisotropic ``soccer ball'' turbulence (Bewley, Chang and Bodenschatz 2012, Phys. Fluids). We define the influence of this variation in structure on the downstream evolution of the turbulence. with Eberhard Bodenschatz and others.

Influence of large-scale motion on turbulent transport for confined coaxial jets. Volume 2: Navier-Stokes calculations of swirling and nonswirling confined coaxial jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weinberg, B. C.; Mcdonald, H.

1986-01-01

The existence of large scale coherent structures in turbulent shear flows has been well documented. Discrepancies between experimental and computational data suggest a necessity to understand the roles they play in mass and momentum transport. Using conditional sampling and averaging on coincident two-component velocity and concentration velocity experimental data for swirling and nonswirling coaxial jets, triggers for identifying the structures were examined. Concentration fluctuation was found to be an adequate trigger or indicator for the concentration-velocity data, but no suitable detector was located for the two-component velocity data. The large scale structures are found in the region where the largest discrepancies exist between model and experiment. The traditional gradient transport model does not fit in this region as a result of these structures. The large scale motion was found to be responsible for a large percentage of the axial mass transport. The large scale structures were found to convect downstream at approximately the mean velocity of the overall flow in the axial direction. The radial mean velocity of the structures was found to be substantially greater than that of the overall flow.

Wavelet Analysis for RADARSAT Exploitation: Demonstration of Algorithms for Maritime Surveillance

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-02-01

this study , we demonstrate wavelet analysis for exploitation of RADARSAT ocean imagery, including wind direction estimation, oceanic and atmospheric ...of image striations that can arise as a texture pattern caused by turbulent coherent structures in the marine atmospheric boundary layer. The image...associated change in the pattern texture (i.e., the nature of the turbulent atmospheric structures) across the front. Due to the large spatial scale of

Development of a Regional Structured and Unstructured Grid Methodology for Chemically Reactive Turbulent Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefanski, Douglas Lawrence

A finite volume method for solving the Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations on unstructured hybrid grids is presented. Capabilities for handling arbitrary mixtures of reactive gas species within the unstructured framework are developed. The modeling of turbulent effects is carried out via the 1998 Wilcox k -- o model. This unstructured solver is incorporated within VULCAN -- a multi-block structured grid code -- as part of a novel patching procedure in which non-matching interfaces between structured blocks are replaced by transitional unstructured grids. This approach provides a fully-conservative alternative to VULCAN's non-conservative patching methods for handling such interfaces. In addition, the further development of the standalone unstructured solver toward large-eddy simulation (LES) applications is also carried out. Dual time-stepping using a Crank-Nicholson formulation is added to recover time-accuracy, and modeling of sub-grid scale effects is incorporated to provide higher fidelity LES solutions for turbulent flows. A switch based on the work of Ducros, et al., is implemented to transition from a monotonicity-preserving flux scheme near shocks to a central-difference method in vorticity-dominated regions in order to better resolve small-scale turbulent structures. The updated unstructured solver is used to carry out large-eddy simulations of a supersonic constrained mixing layer.

Structures in magnetohydrodynamic turbulence: Detection and scaling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uritsky, V. M.; Pouquet, A.; Rosenberg, D.; Mininni, P. D.; Donovan, E. F.

2010-11-01

We present a systematic analysis of statistical properties of turbulent current and vorticity structures at a given time using cluster analysis. The data stem from numerical simulations of decaying three-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in the absence of an imposed uniform magnetic field; the magnetic Prandtl number is taken equal to unity, and we use a periodic box with grids of up to 15363 points and with Taylor Reynolds numbers up to 1100. The initial conditions are either an X -point configuration embedded in three dimensions, the so-called Orszag-Tang vortex, or an Arn’old-Beltrami-Childress configuration with a fully helical velocity and magnetic field. In each case two snapshots are analyzed, separated by one turn-over time, starting just after the peak of dissipation. We show that the algorithm is able to select a large number of structures (in excess of 8000) for each snapshot and that the statistical properties of these clusters are remarkably similar for the two snapshots as well as for the two flows under study in terms of scaling laws for the cluster characteristics, with the structures in the vorticity and in the current behaving in the same way. We also study the effect of Reynolds number on cluster statistics, and we finally analyze the properties of these clusters in terms of their velocity-magnetic-field correlation. Self-organized criticality features have been identified in the dissipative range of scales. A different scaling arises in the inertial range, which cannot be identified for the moment with a known self-organized criticality class consistent with magnetohydrodynamics. We suggest that this range can be governed by turbulence dynamics as opposed to criticality and propose an interpretation of intermittency in terms of propagation of local instabilities.

Measurement of turbulence decorrelation during transport barrier evolution in a high-temperature fusion plasma.

PubMed

Nazikian, R; Shinohara, K; Kramer, G J; Valeo, E; Hill, K; Hahm, T S; Rewoldt, G; Ide, S; Koide, Y; Oyama, Y; Shirai, H; Tang, W

2005-04-08

A low power polychromatic beam of microwaves is used to diagnose the behavior of turbulent fluctuations in the core of the JT-60U tokamak during the evolution of the internal transport barrier. A continuous reduction in the size of turbulent structures is observed concomitant with the reduction of the density scale length during the evolution of the internal transport barrier. The density correlation length decreases to the order of the ion gyroradius, in contrast with the much longer scale lengths observed earlier in the discharge, while the density fluctuation level remain similar to the level before transport barrier formation.

Regeneration of near-wall turbulence structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamilton, James M.; Kim, John J.; Waleffe, Fabian A.

1993-01-01

An examination of the regeneration mechanisms of near-wall turbulence and an attempt to investigate the critical Reynolds number conjecture of Waleffe & Kim is presented. The basis is an extension of the 'minimal channel' approach of Jimenez and Moin which emphasizes the near-wall region and further reduces the complexity of the turbulent flow. Reduction of the flow Reynolds number to the minimum value which will allow turbulence to be sustained has the effect of reducing the ratio of the largest scales to the smallest scales or, equivalently, of causing the near-wall region to fill more of the area between the channel walls. In addition, since each wall may have an active near-wall region, half of the channel is always somewhat redundant. If a plane Couette flow is instead chosen as the base flow, this redundancy is eliminated: the mean shear of a plane Couette flow has a single sign, and at low Reynolds numbers, the two wall regions share a single set of structures. A minimal flow with these modifications possesses, by construction, the strongest constraints which allow sustained turbulence, producing a greatly simplified flow in which the regeneration process can be examined.

Impact of vertical wind shear on roll structure in idealized hurricane boundary layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Shouping; Jiang, Qingfang

2017-03-01

Quasi-two-dimensional roll vortices are frequently observed in hurricane boundary layers. It is believed that this highly coherent structure, likely caused by the inflection-point instability, plays an important role in organizing turbulent transport. Large-eddy simulations are conducted to investigate the impact of wind shear characteristics, such as the shear strength and inflection-point level, on the roll structure in terms of its spectral characteristics and turbulence organization. A mean wind nudging approach is used in the simulations to maintain the specified mean wind shear without directly affecting turbulent motions. Enhancing the radial wind shear expands the roll horizontal scale and strengthens the roll's kinetic energy. Increasing the inflection-point level tends to produce a narrow and sharp peak in the power spectrum at the wavelength consistent with the roll spacing indicated by the instantaneous turbulent fields. The spectral tangential momentum flux, in particular, reaches a strong peak value at the roll wavelength. In contrast, the spectral radial momentum flux obtains its maximum at the wavelength that is usually shorter than the roll's, suggesting that the roll radial momentum transport is less efficient than the tangential because of the quasi-two-dimensionality of the roll structure. The most robust rolls are produced in a simulation with the highest inflection-point level and relatively strong radial wind shear. Based on the spectral analysis, the roll-scale contribution to the turbulent momentum flux can reach 40 % in the middle of the boundary layer.

Vortex model of open channel flows with gravel beds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belcher, Brian James

Turbulent structures are known to be important physical processes in gravel-bed rivers. A number of limitations exist that prohibit the advancement and prediction of turbulence structures for optimization of civil infrastructure, biological habitats and sediment transport in gravel-bed rivers. This includes measurement limitations that prohibit characterization of size and strength of turbulent structures in the riverine environment for different case studies as well as traditional numerical modeling limitations that prohibit modeling and prediction of turbulent structure for heterogeneous beds under high Reynolds number flows using the Navier-Stokes equations. While these limitations exist, researchers have developed various theories for the structure of turbulence in boundary layer flows including large eddies in gravel-bed rivers. While these theories have varied in details and applicable conditions, a common hypothesis has been a structural organization in the fluid which links eddies formed at the wall to coherent turbulent structures such as large eddies which may be observed vertically across the entire flow depth in an open channel. Recently physics has also seen the advancement of topological fluid mechanical ideas concerned with the study of vortex structures, braids, links and knots in velocity vector fields. In the present study the structural organization hypothesis is investigated with topological fluid mechanics and experimental results which are used to derive a vortex model for gravel-bed flows. Velocity field measurements in gravel-bed flow conditions in the laboratory were used to characterize temporal and spatial structures which may be attributed to vortex motions and reconnection phenomena. Turbulent velocity time series data were measured with ADV and decomposed using statistical decompositions to measure turbulent length scales. PIV was used to measure spatial velocity vector fields which were decomposed with filtering techniques for flow visualization. Under the specific conditions of a turbulent burst the fluid domain is organized as a braided flow of vortices connected by prime knot patterns of thin-cored flux tubes embedded on an abstract vortex surface itself having topology of a Klein bottle. This model explains observed streamline patterns in the vicinity of a strong turbulent burst in a gravel-bed river as a coherent structure in the turbulent velocity field. KEY WORDS: Open channel flow, turbulence, gravel-bed rivers, coherent structures, velocity distributions

Intermittency of solar wind on scale 0.01-16 Hz.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riazantseva, Maria; Zastenker, Georgy; Chernyshov, Alexander; Petrosyan, Arakel

Magnetosphere of the Earth is formed in the process of solar wind flow around earth's magnetic field. Solar wind is a flow of turbulent plasma that displays a multifractal structure and an intermittent character. That is why the study of the characteristics of solar wind turbulence is very important part of the solution of the problem of the energy transport from the solar wind to magnetosphere. A large degree of intermittency is observed in the solar wind ion flux and magnetic field time rows. We investigated the intermittency of solar wind fluctuations under large statistics of high time resolution measurements onboard Interball-1 spacecraft on scale from 0.01 to 16 Hz. Especially it is important that these investigation is carry out for the first time for the earlier unexplored (by plasma data) region of comparatively fast variations (frequency up to 16 Hz), so we significantly extend the range of intermittency observations for solar wind plasma. The intermittency practically absent on scale more then 1000 s and it grows to the small scales right up till t 30-60 s. The behavior of the intermittency for the scale less then 30-60 s is rather changeable. The boundary between these two rates of intermittency is quantitatively near to the well-known boundary between the dissipation and inertial scales of fluctuations, what may point to their possible relation. Special attention is given to a comparison of intermittency for solar wind observation intervals containing SCIF (Sudden Changes of Ion Flux) to ones for intervals without SCIF. Such a comparison allows one to reveal the fundamental turbulent properties of the solar wind regions in which SCIF is observed more frequently. We use nearly incompressible model of the solar wind turbulence for obtained data interpretation. The regime when density fluctuations are passive scalar in a hydrodynamic field of velocity is realized in turbulent solar wind flows according to this model. This hypothesis can be verified straightforwardly by investigating the density spectrum which should be slaved to the incompressible velocity spectrum. Density discontinuities on times up to t 30-60 s are defined by intermittency of velocity turbulent field. Solar wind intermittency and many or most of its discontinuities are produced by MHD turbulence in this time interval. It is possible that many or even most of the current structures in the solar wind, particularly inertial range structures that contribute to the tails of the PDFs. Complex non-gaussian behaviour on smaller times is described by dissipation rate nonhomogeneity of statistical moments for density field in a random flow.

Helicity statistics in homogeneous and isotropic turbulence and turbulence models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahoo, Ganapati; De Pietro, Massimo; Biferale, Luca

2017-02-01

We study the statistical properties of helicity in direct numerical simulations of fully developed homogeneous and isotropic turbulence and in a class of turbulence shell models. We consider correlation functions based on combinations of vorticity and velocity increments that are not invariant under mirror symmetry. We also study the scaling properties of high-order structure functions based on the moments of the velocity increments projected on a subset of modes with either positive or negative helicity (chirality). We show that mirror symmetry is recovered at small scales, i.e., chiral terms are subleading and they are well captured by a dimensional argument plus anomalous corrections. These findings are also supported by a high Reynolds numbers study of helical shell models with the same chiral symmetry of Navier-Stokes equations.

Nonlinear forcing in the resolvent analysis of wall-turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rosenberg, Kevin; Lozano Duran, Adrian; Towne, Aaron; McKeon, Beverley

2016-11-01

The resolvent analysis of McKeon and Sharma formulates the Navier-Stokes equations as an input/output system in which the nonlinearity is treated as a forcing that acts upon the linear dynamics to yield a velocity response across wavenumber/frequency space. DNS data for a low Reynolds number turbulent channel (Reτ = 180) is used to investigate the structure of the nonlinear forcing directly. Specifically, we explore the spatio-temporal scales where the forcing is active and analyze its interplay with the linear amplification mechanisms present in the resolvent operator. This work could provide insight into self-sustaining processes in wall-turbulence and inform the modeling of scale interactions in large eddy simulations. We gratefully acknowledge Stanford's Center for Turbulence Research for support of this work.

Second-order structure function in high-resolution DNSs of turbulence - Where is the inertial subrange?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishihara, Takashi; Kaneda, Yukio; Morishita, Koji; Yokokawa, Mitsuo; Uno, Atsuya

2017-11-01

We report some results of a series of high resolution direct numerical simulations (DNSs) of forced incompressible isotropic turbulence with up to 122883 grid points and Taylor microscale Reynolds number Rλ 2300 . The DNSs show that there exists a scale range, approximately at 100 < r / η < 600 (η is the Kolmogorov length scale), where the second-order longitudinal velocity structure function fits well to a simple power-law scaling with respect to the distance r between the two points. However, the magnitude of the structure function depends on Rλ, i.e., the structure function normalized by the mean rate of energy dissipation and r is not independent of Rλ nor the viscosity. This implies that the range at 100 < r / η < 600 and Rλ up to 2300 is not the `inertial subrange', whose statistics are assumed to be independent from viscosity or Rλ in many turbulence theories. The measured exponents are to be not confused with those in the `inertial subrange': the constancy of the scaling exponent of a structure function in a certain range does not necessarily mean that the measured exponent is the scaling exponent in the `inertial subrange'. This yields a question, ``Where is the `inertial subrange' in experiments and DNSs?'' This study used the computational resources of the K computer provided by the RIKEN AICS through the HPCI System Research projects (ID:hp160102 and ID:hp170087). This research was partly supported by JSPS KAKENHI (S)16H06339 and (B) 15H03603.

Shear layer structure of a low speed jet. Ph.D. Thesis. Final Report, 28 Jun. 1974 - 31 Dec. 1975; [measurements of field pressure and turbulent velocity functions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Petersen, R. A.

1976-01-01

A series of measurements of near field pressures and turbulent velocity fluctuations were made in a low speed jet with a Reynolds number near 50,000 in order to investigate more quantitatively the character and behavior of the large scale structures and their interactions with each other. The near field measurements were modelled according to the vortex pairing hypothesis to deduce the distribution of pairings along the jet axis and the variances about the mean locations. The hodograph plane description of turbulence was explored in some detail, and a complex correlation quantity was synthesized which has useful properties for turbulence in the presence of mean shear.

Bounded energy states in homogeneous turbulent shear flow: An alternative view

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bernard, Peter S.; Speziale, Charles G.

1990-01-01

The equilibrium structure of homogeneous turbulent shear flow is investigated from a theoretical standpoint. Existing turbulence models, in apparent agreement with physical and numerical experiments, predict an unbounded exponential time growth of the turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation rate; only the anisotropy tensor and turbulent time scale reach a structural equilibrium. It is shown that if vortex stretching is accounted for in the dissipation rate transport equation, then there can exist equilibrium solutions, with bounded energy states, where the turbulence production is balanced by its dissipation. Illustrative calculations are present for a k-epsilon model modified to account for vortex stretching. The calculations indicate an initial exponential time growth of the turbulent kinetic energy and dissipation rate for elapsed times that are as large as those considered in any of the previously conducted physical or numerical experiments on homogeneous shear flow. However, vortex stretching eventually takes over and forces a production-equals-dissipation equilibrium with bounded energy states. The validity of this result is further supported by an independent theoretical argument. It is concluded that the generally accepted structural equilibrium for homogeneous shear flow with unbounded component energies is in need of re-examination.

Propagation of electromagnetic waves in a turbulent medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Canuto, V. M.; Hartke, G. J.

1986-01-01

Theoretical modeling of the wealth of experimental data on propagation of electromagnetic radiation through turbulent media has centered on the use of the Heisenberg-Kolmogorov (HK) model, which is, however, valid only for medium to small sized eddies. Ad hoc modifications of the HK model to encompass the large-scale region of the eddy spectrum have been widely used, but a sound physical basis has been lacking. A model for large-scale turbulence that was recently proposed is applied to the above problem. The spectral density of the temperature field is derived and used to calculate the structure function of the index of refraction N. The result is compared with available data, yielding a reasonably good fit. The variance of N is also in accord with the data. The model is also applied to propagation effects. The phase structure function, covariance of the log amplitude, and variance of the log intensity are calculated. The calculated phase structure function is in excellent agreement with available data.

Aspects of turbulent-shear-layer dynamics and mixing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slessor, Michael David

Experiments have been conducted in the GALCIT Supersonic Shear Layer Facility to investigate some aspects of high-Reynolds-number, turbulent, shear-layer flows in both incompressible- and compressible-flow regimes. Experiments designed to address several issues were performed; effects of inflow boundary conditions, freestream conditions (supersonic/subsonic flow), and compressibility, on both large-scale dynamics and small-scale mixing, are described. Chemically-reacting and non-reacting flows were investigated, the former relying on the (Hsb2 + NO)/Fsb2 chemical system, in the fast-kinetic regime, to infer the structure and amount of molecular-scale mixing through use of "flip" experiments. A variety of experimental techniques, including a color-schlieren visualization system developed as part of this work, were used to study the flows. Both inflow conditions and compressibility are found to have significant effects on the flow. In particular, inflow conditions are "remembered" for long distances downstream, a sensitivity similar to that observed in low-dimensionality, non-linear (chaotic) systems. The global flowfields (freestreams coupled by the shear layer) of transonic flows exhibit a sensitivity to imposed boundary conditions, a.e., local area ratios. A previously-proposed mode-selection rule for turbulent-structure convection speeds, based on the presence of a lab-frame subsonic freestream, was experimentally demonstrated to be incorrect. Compressibility, when decoupled from ail other parameters, e.g., Reynolds number, velocity and density ratios, etc., reduces large-scale entrainment and turbulent growth, but slightly enhances small-scale mixing, with an associated change in the structure of the molecularly-mixed fluid. This reduction in shear-layer growth rate is examined and a new parameter that interprets compressibility as an energy-exchange mechanism is proposed. The parameter reconciles and collapses experimentally-observed growth rates.

Large-scale influences in near-wall turbulence.

PubMed

Hutchins, Nicholas; Marusic, Ivan

2007-03-15

Hot-wire data acquired in a high Reynolds number facility are used to illustrate the need for adequate scale separation when considering the coherent structure in wall-bounded turbulence. It is found that a large-scale motion in the log region becomes increasingly comparable in energy to the near-wall cycle as the Reynolds number increases. Through decomposition of fluctuating velocity signals, it is shown that this large-scale motion has a distinct modulating influence on the small-scale energy (akin to amplitude modulation). Reassessment of DNS data, in light of these results, shows similar trends, with the rate and intensity of production due to the near-wall cycle subject to a modulating influence from the largest-scale motions.

Kinetic energy and scalar spectra in high Rayleigh number axially homogeneous buoyancy driven turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pawar, Shashikant S.; Arakeri, Jaywant H.

2016-06-01

Kinetic energy and scalar spectra from the measurements in high Rayleigh number axially homogeneous buoyancy driven turbulent flow are presented. Kinetic energy and concentration (scalar) spectra are obtained from the experiments wherein density difference is created using brine and fresh water and temperature spectra are obtained from the experiments in which heat is used. Scaling of the frequency spectra of lateral and longitudinal velocity near the tube axis is closer to the Kolmogorov-Obukhov scaling, while the scalar spectra show some evidence of dual scaling, Bolgiano-Obukhov scaling followed by Obukhov-Corrsin scaling. These scalings are also observed in the corresponding second order spatial structure functions of velocity and concentration fluctuations.

Investigation of feasibility of wind turbulence measurement by a pulsed coherent doppler lidar in the atmospheric boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smalikho, Igor; Banakh, Viktor

2018-04-01

Feasibilities of determination of the wind turbulence parameters from data measured by the Stream Line coherent Doppler lidar under different atmospheric conditions have been studied experimentally. It has been found that the spatial structure of the turbulence is described well by the von Karman model in the layer of intensive mixing. From the lidar measurements at night under stable conditions the estimation of the outer scale of turbulence with the use of the von Karman model is not possible.

Computation of turbulent pipe and duct flow using third order upwind scheme

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kawamura, T.

1986-01-01

The fully developed turbulence in a circular pipe and in a square duct is simulated directly without using turbulence models in the Navier-Stokes equations. The utilized method employs a third-order upwind scheme for the approximation to the nonlinear term and the second-order Adams-Bashforth method for the time derivative in the Navier-Stokes equation. The computational results appear to capture the large-scale turbulent structures at least qualitatively. The significance of the artificial viscosity inherent in the present scheme is discussed.

Large Scale Turbulent Structures in Supersonic Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rao, Ram Mohan; Lundgren, Thomas S.

1997-01-01

Jet noise is a major concern in the design of commercial aircraft. Studies by various researchers suggest that aerodynamic noise is a major contributor to jet noise. Some of these studies indicate that most of the aerodynamic jet noise due to turbulent mixing occurs when there is a rapid variation in turbulent structure, i.e. rapidly growing or decaying vortices. The objective of this research was to simulate a compressible round jet to study the non-linear evolution of vortices and the resulting acoustic radiations. In particular, to understand the effect of turbulence structure on the noise. An ideal technique to study this problem is Direct Numerical Simulations(DNS), because it provides precise control on the initial and boundary conditions that lead to the turbulent structures studied. It also provides complete 3-dimensional time dependent data. Since the dynamics of a temporally evolving jet are not greatly different from those, of a spatially evolving jet, a temporal jet problem was solved, using periodicity ill the direction of the jet axis. This enables the application of Fourier spectral methods in the streamwise direction. Physically this means that turbulent structures in the jet are repeated in successive downstream cells instead of being gradually modified downstream into a jet plume. The DNS jet simulation helps us understand the various turbulent scales and mechanisms of turbulence generation in the evolution of a compressible round jet. These accurate flow solutions will be used in future research to estimate near-field acoustic radiation by computing the total outward flux across a surface and determine how it is related to the evolution of the turbulent solutions. Furthermore, these simulations allow us to investigate the sensitivity of acoustic radiations to inlet/boundary conditions, with possible application to active noise suppression. In addition, the data generated can be used to compute various turbulence quantities such as mean velocities, turbulent stresses, etc. which will aid in turbulence modeling. This report will be presented in two chapters. The first chapter describes some work on the linear stability of a supersonic round jet and the implications of this for the jet noise problem. The second chapter is an extensive discussion of numerical work using the spectral method which we use to solve the compressible Navier-Stokes equations to study turbulent jet flows. The method uses Fourier expansions in the azimuthal and streamwise direction and a 1-D B-spline basis representation in the radial direction. The B-spline basis is locally supported and this ensures block diagonal matrix equations which can be solved in O(N) steps. This is a modification of a boundary layer code developed by Robert Moser. A very accurate highly resolved Direct Numerical Simulation (DNS) of a turbulent jet flow is produced.

Large Scale Turbulent Structures in Supersonic Jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rao, Ram Mohan; Lundgren, Thomas S.

1997-01-01

Jet noise is a major concern in the design of commercial aircraft. Studies by various researchers suggest that aerodynamic noise is a major contributor to jet noise. Some of these studies indicate that most of the aerodynamic jet noise due to turbulent mixing occurs when there is a rapid variation in turbulent structure, i.e. rapidly growing or decaying vortices. The objective of this research was to simulate a compressible round jet to study the non-linear evolution of vortices and the resulting acoustic radiations. In particular, to understand the effect of turbulence structure on the noise. An ideal technique to study this problem is Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS), because it provides precise control on the initial and boundary conditions that lead to the turbulent structures studied. It also provides complete 3-dimensional time dependent data. Since the dynamics of a temporally evolving jet are not greatly different from those of a spatially evolving jet, a temporal jet problem was solved, using periodicity in the direction of the jet axis. This enables the application of Fourier spectral methods in the streamwise direction. Physically this means that turbulent structures in the jet are repeated in successive downstream cells instead of being gradually modified downstream into a jet plume. The DNS jet simulation helps us understand the various turbulent scales and mechanisms of turbulence generation in the evolution of a compressible round jet. These accurate flow solutions will be used in future research to estimate near-field acoustic radiation by computing the total outward flux across a surface and determine how it is related to the evolution of the turbulent solutions. Furthermore, these simulations allow us to investigate the sensitivity of acoustic radiations to inlet/boundary conditions, with possible appli(,a- tion to active noise suppression. In addition, the data generated can be used to compute, various turbulence quantities such as mean velocities, turbulent stresses, etc. which will aid in turbulence modeling. This report will be presented in two chapters. The first chapter describes some work on the linear stability of a supersonic round jet and the implications of this for the jet noise problem. The second chapter is an extensive discussion of numerical work using the spectral method which we use to solve the compressible Navier-Stokes equations to study turbulent jet flows. The method uses Fourier expansions in the azimuthal and streamwise direction and a 1-D B-spline basis representation in the radial direction. The B-spline basis is locally supported and this ensures block diagonal matrix equations which can be solved in O(N) steps. This is a modification of a boundary layer code developed by Robert Moser. A very accurate highly resolved DNS of a turbulent jet flow is produced.

Statistical assessment of optical phase fluctuations through turbulent mixing layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardner, Patrick J.; Roggemann, Michael C.; Welsh, Byron M.; Bowersox, Rodney D.

1995-09-01

A lateral shearing interferometer is used to measure the slope of perturbed wavefronts after propagating through turbulent shear flows. This provides a two-dimensional flow visualization technique which is nonintrusive. The slope measurements are used to reconstruct the phase of the turbulence-corrupted wave front. Experiments were performed on a plane shear mixing layer of helium and nitrogen gas at fixed velocities, for five locations in the flow development. The two gases, having a density ratio of approximately seven, provide an effective means of simulating compressible shear layers. Statistical autocorrelation functions and structure functions are computed on the reconstructed phase maps. The autocorrelation function results indicate that the turbulence-induced phase fluctuations are not wide-sense stationary. The structure functions exhibit statistical homogeneity, indicating the phase fluctuation are stationary in first increments. However, the turbulence-corrupted phase is not isotropic. A five-thirds power law is shown to fit one-dimensional, orthogonal slices of the structure function, with scaling coefficients related to the location in the flow.

Analysis of coherent dynamical processes through computer vision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hack, M. J. Philipp

2016-11-01

Visualizations of turbulent boundary layers show an abundance of characteristic arc-shaped structures whose apparent similarity suggests a common origin in a coherent dynamical process. While the structures have been likened to the hairpin vortices observed in the late stages of transitional flow, a consistent description of the underlying mechanism has remained elusive. Detailed studies are complicated by the chaotic nature of turbulence which modulates each manifestation of the process and which renders the isolation of individual structures a challenging task. The present study applies methods from the field of computer vision to capture the time evolution of turbulent flow features and explore the associated physical mechanisms. The algorithm uses morphological operations to condense the structure of the turbulent flow field into a graph described by nodes and links. The low-dimensional geometric information is stored in a database and allows the identification and analysis of equivalent dynamical processes across multiple scales. The framework is not limited to turbulent boundary layers and can also be applied to different types of flows as well as problems from other fields of science.

Magnetic Field Fluctuations in the High Ionosphere at Polar Latitudes: Impact of the IMF Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Michelis, P.; Consolini, G.; Tozzi, R.

2016-12-01

The characterization of ionospheric turbulence plays an important role for all those communication systems affected by the ionospheric medium. For instance, independently of geomagnetic latitude, ionospheric turbulence represents a considerable issue for all Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). Swarm constellation measurements of the Earth's magnetic field allow a precise characterization of ionospheric turbulence. This is possible using a range of indices derived from the analysis of the scaling properties of the geomagnetic field. In particular, by the scaling properties of the 1st order structure function, a scale index can be obtained, with a consequent characterization of the degree of persistence of the fluctuations and of their spectral properties. The knowledge of this index provides a global characterization of the nature and level of ionospheric turbulence on a local scale, which can be displayed along a single satellite orbit or through maps over the region of interest. The present work focuses on the analysis of the scaling properties of the 1st order structure function of magnetic field fluctuations measured by Swarm constellation at polar latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. They are studied according to different interplanetary magnetic field conditions and Earth's seasons to characterize the possible drivers of magnetic field variability. The obtained results are discussed in the framework of Sun-Earth relationship and ionospheric polar convection. This work is supported by the Italian National Program for Antarctic Research (PNRA) Research Project 2013/AC3.08

Soap film flows: Statistics of two-dimensional turbulence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vorobieff, P.; Rivera, M.; Ecke, R.E.

1999-08-01

Soap film flows provide a very convenient laboratory model for studies of two-dimensional (2-D) hydrodynamics including turbulence. For a gravity-driven soap film channel with a grid of equally spaced cylinders inserted in the flow, we have measured the simultaneous velocity and thickness fields in the irregular flow downstream from the cylinders. The velocity field is determined by a modified digital particle image velocimetry method and the thickness from the light scattered by the particles in the film. From these measurements, we compute the decay of mean energy, enstrophy, and thickness fluctuations with downstream distance, and the structure functions of velocity,more » vorticity, thickness fluctuation, and vorticity flux. From these quantities we determine the microscale Reynolds number of the flow R{sub {lambda}}{approx}100 and the integral and dissipation scales of 2D turbulence. We also obtain quantitative measures of the degree to which our flow can be considered incompressible and isotropic as a function of downstream distance. We find coarsening of characteristic spatial scales, qualitative correspondence of the decay of energy and enstrophy with the Batchelor model, scaling of energy in {ital k} space consistent with the k{sup {minus}3} spectrum of the Kraichnan{endash}Batchelor enstrophy-scaling picture, and power-law scalings of the structure functions of velocity, vorticity, vorticity flux, and thickness. These results are compared with models of 2-D turbulence and with numerical simulations. {copyright} {ital 1999 American Institute of Physics.}« less

Influence of large-scale motion on turbulent transport for confined coaxial jets. Volume 1: Analytical analysis of the experimental data using conditional sampling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brondum, D. C.; Bennett, J. C.

1986-01-01

The existence of large scale coherent structures in turbulent shear flows has been well documented. Discrepancies between experimental and computational data suggest a necessity to understand the roles they play in mass and momentum transport. Using conditional sampling and averaging on coincident two component velocity and concentration velocity experimental data for swirling and nonswirling coaxial jets, triggers for identifying the structures were examined. Concentration fluctuation was found to be an adequate trigger or indicator for the concentration-velocity data, but no suitable detector was located for the two component velocity data. The large scale structures are found in the region where the largest discrepancies exist between model and experiment. The traditional gradient transport model does not fit in this region as a result of these structures. The large scale motion was found to be responsible for a large percentage downstream at approximately the mean velocity of the overall flow in the axial direction. The radial mean velocity of the structures was found to be substantially greater than that of the overall flow.

Intermittency of solar system plasma turbulence near Venus and Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teodorescu, Eliza; Echim, Marius; Chang, Tom

2016-04-01

We analyze magnetic field data from Venus Express (VEX) and CLUSTER to investigate the turbulent properties of the solar wind and the Earth's and Venus' magnetosheaths. A systematic study of the PDFs (Probability Distribution Functions) of the measured magnetic fluctuations and their fourth order moments (kurtosis) reveals numerous intermittent time series. The presence of intermittency is marked by non-Gaussian PDFs with heavy wings and a scale dependent kurtosis. Higher order analyses on the scale dependence of several moment orders of the PDFs, the structure functions, along with the scaling of the kurtosis allow for a selection of scales that pertain to different scaling regimes, governed by different physics. On such sub-ranges of scales we investigate the fractal structure of fluctuations through the Rank Ordered Multifractal Analysis - ROMA (Chang and Wu, 2008). ROMA is applied to a selection of intermittent magnetic field time series in the solar wind and planetary magnetosheaths and helps to quantify the turbulence properties through the estimation of a spectrum of local Hurst exponents. Research supported by the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no 313038/STORM, and a grant of the Romanian Ministry of National Education, CNCS - UEFISCDI, project number PN-II-ID-PCE-2012-4-0418.

Attached flow structure and streamwise energy spectra in a turbulent boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Srinath, S.; Vassilicos, J. C.; Cuvier, C.; Laval, J.-P.; Stanislas, M.; Foucaut, J.-M.

2018-05-01

On the basis of (i) particle image velocimetry data of a turbulent boundary layer with large field of view and good spatial resolution and (ii) a mathematical relation between the energy spectrum and specifically modeled flow structures, we show that the scalings of the streamwise energy spectrum E11(kx) in a wave-number range directly affected by the wall are determined by wall-attached eddies but are not given by the Townsend-Perry attached eddy model's prediction of these spectra, at least at the Reynolds numbers Reτ considered here which are between 103 and 104. Instead, we find E11(kx) ˜kx-1 -p where p varies smoothly with distance to the wall from negative values in the buffer layer to positive values in the inertial layer. The exponent p characterizes the turbulence levels inside wall-attached streaky structures conditional on the length of these structures. A particular consequence is that the skin friction velocity is not sufficient to scale E11(kx) for wave numbers directly affected by the wall.

Initial conditions and modeling for simulations of shock driven turbulent material mixing

DOE PAGES

Grinstein, Fernando F.

2016-11-17

Here, we focus on the simulation of shock-driven material mixing driven by flow instabilities and initial conditions (IC). Beyond complex multi-scale resolution issues of shocks and variable density turbulence, me must address the equally difficult problem of predicting flow transition promoted by energy deposited at the material interfacial layer during the shock interface interactions. Transition involves unsteady large-scale coherent-structure dynamics capturable by a large eddy simulation (LES) strategy, but not by an unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) approach based on developed equilibrium turbulence assumptions and single-point-closure modeling. On the engineering end of computations, such URANS with reduced 1D/2D dimensionality and coarsermore » grids, tend to be preferred for faster turnaround in full-scale configurations.« less

Influence of non-Kolmogorov atmospheric turbulence on the beam quality of vortex beams.

PubMed

Li, Jinhong; Wang, Weiwei; Duan, Meiling; Wei, Jinlin

2016-09-05

Based on the extended Huygens-Fresnel principle and the definition of second-order moments of the Wigner distribution function (WDF), the analytical expressions for the propagation factors (M²-factors) and Strehl ratio S_R of the Gaussian Schell-model (GSM) vortex beams and GSM non-vortex beams propagation through non-Kolmogorov atmospheric turbulence are derived, and used to study the influence of non-Kolmogorov atmospheric turbulence on beam quality of the GSM vortex beams. It is shown that the smaller the generalized structure constant and the outer scale of turbulence are, and the bigger the inner scale of turbulence is, the smaller the normalized propagation factor is, the bigger the Strehl ratio is, and the better the beam quality of GSM vortex beams in atmospheric turbulence is. The variation of beam quality with the generalized exponent α is nonmonotonic, when α = 3.11, the beam quality of the GSM vortex beams is the poorest through non-Kolmogorov atmospheric turbulence. GSM vortex beams is less affected by turbulence than GSM non-vortex beams under certain condition, and will be useful in long-distance free-space optical communications.

Remote visualization and scale analysis of large turbulence datatsets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Livescu, D.; Pulido, J.; Burns, R.; Canada, C.; Ahrens, J.; Hamann, B.

2015-12-01

Accurate simulations of turbulent flows require solving all the dynamically relevant scales of motions. This technique, called Direct Numerical Simulation, has been successfully applied to a variety of simple flows; however, the large-scale flows encountered in Geophysical Fluid Dynamics (GFD) would require meshes outside the range of the most powerful supercomputers for the foreseeable future. Nevertheless, the current generation of petascale computers has enabled unprecedented simulations of many types of turbulent flows which focus on various GFD aspects, from the idealized configurations extensively studied in the past to more complex flows closer to the practical applications. The pace at which such simulations are performed only continues to increase; however, the simulations themselves are restricted to a small number of groups with access to large computational platforms. Yet the petabytes of turbulence data offer almost limitless information on many different aspects of the flow, from the hierarchy of turbulence moments, spectra and correlations, to structure-functions, geometrical properties, etc. The ability to share such datasets with other groups can significantly reduce the time to analyze the data, help the creative process and increase the pace of discovery. Using the largest DOE supercomputing platforms, we have performed some of the biggest turbulence simulations to date, in various configurations, addressing specific aspects of turbulence production and mixing mechanisms. Until recently, the visualization and analysis of such datasets was restricted by access to large supercomputers. The public Johns Hopkins Turbulence database simplifies the access to multi-Terabyte turbulence datasets and facilitates turbulence analysis through the use of commodity hardware. First, one of our datasets, which is part of the database, will be described and then a framework that adds high-speed visualization and wavelet support for multi-resolution analysis of turbulence will be highlighted. The addition of wavelet support reduces the latency and bandwidth requirements for visualization, allowing for many concurrent users, and enables new types of analyses, including scale decomposition and coherent feature extraction.

On the evolution of flow topology in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dabbagh, F.; Trias, F. X.; Gorobets, A.; Oliva, A.

2016-11-01

Small-scale dynamics is the spirit of turbulence physics. It implicates many attributes of flow topology evolution, coherent structures, hairpin vorticity dynamics, and mechanism of the kinetic energy cascade. In this work, several dynamical aspects of the small-scale motions have been numerically studied in a framework of Rayleigh-Bénard convection (RBC). To do so, direct numerical simulations have been carried out at two Rayleigh numbers Ra = 108 and 1010, inside an air-filled rectangular cell of aspect ratio unity and π span-wise open-ended distance. As a main feature, the average rate of the invariants of the velocity gradient tensor (QG, RG) has displayed the so-called "teardrop" spiraling shape through the bulk region. Therein, the mean trajectories are swirling inwards revealing a periodic spin around the converging origin of a constant period that is found to be proportional to the plumes lifetime. This suggests that the thermal plumes participate in the coherent large-scale circulation and the turbulent wind created in the bulk. Particularly, it happens when the plumes elongate substantially to contribute to the large-scale eddies at the lower turbulent state. Supplementary small-scale properties, which are widely common in many turbulent flows have been observed in RBC. For example, the strong preferential alignment of vorticity with the intermediate eigenstrain vector, and the asymmetric alignment between vorticity and the vortex-stretching vector. It has been deduced that in a hard turbulent flow regime, local self-amplifications of straining regions aid in contracting the vorticity worms, and enhance the local interactions vorticity/strain to support the linear vortex-stretching contributions. On the other hand, the evolution of invariants pertained to the traceless part of velocity-times-temperature gradient tensor has also been considered in order to determine the role of thermals in the fine-scale dynamics. These new invariants show an incorporation of kinetic and thermal gradient dynamics that indicate directly the evolution and lifetime of thermal plume structures. By applying an identical approach, the rates of the new invariants have shown a symmetric cycling behaviour decaying towards two skew-symmetric converging origins at the lower Ra number. The trajectories near origins address the hot and cold coherent plumes that travel as an average large-scale heat flux in the sidewall vicinities, and denote a periodic spin period close to the plumes lifetime. At the hard turbulent case, the spiraling trajectories travel in shorter tracks to reveal the reduced lifetime of plumes under the dissipative and mixing effects. The turbulent background kinetic derivatives get self-amplified and the trajectories converge to a zero-valued origin indicating that there is no contribution from the plumes to the average coherent large scales of heat flux. These and other peculiar scrutinies on the small-scale motions in RBC have been enlightened, and may have a fruitful consequence on modelling approaches of buoyancy-driven turbulence.

Methods for Evaluating the Temperature Structure-Function Parameter Using Unmanned Aerial Systems and Large-Eddy Simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wainwright, Charlotte E.; Bonin, Timothy A.; Chilson, Phillip B.; Gibbs, Jeremy A.; Fedorovich, Evgeni; Palmer, Robert D.

2015-05-01

Small-scale turbulent fluctuations of temperature are known to affect the propagation of both electromagnetic and acoustic waves. Within the inertial-subrange scale, where the turbulence is locally homogeneous and isotropic, these temperature perturbations can be described, in a statistical sense, using the structure-function parameter for temperature, . Here we investigate different methods of evaluating , using data from a numerical large-eddy simulation together with atmospheric observations collected by an unmanned aerial system and a sodar. An example case using data from a late afternoon unmanned aerial system flight on April 24 2013 and corresponding large-eddy simulation data is presented and discussed.

REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS: Generation of large-scale eddies and zonal winds in planetary atmospheres

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Onishchenko, O. G.; Pokhotelov, O. A.; Astafieva, N. M.

2008-06-01

The review deals with a theoretical description of the generation of zonal winds and vortices in a turbulent barotropic atmosphere. These large-scale structures largely determine the dynamics and transport processes in planetary atmospheres. The role of nonlinear effects on the formation of mesoscale vortical structures (cyclones and anticyclones) is examined. A new mechanism for zonal wind generation in planetary atmospheres is discussed. It is based on the parametric generation of convective cells by finite-amplitude Rossby waves. Weakly turbulent spectra of Rossby waves are considered. The theoretical results are compared to the results of satellite microwave monitoring of the Earth's atmosphere.

Animating Wall-Bounded Turbulent Smoke via Filament-Mesh Particle-Particle Method.

PubMed

Liao, Xiangyun; Si, Weixin; Yuan, Zhiyong; Sun, Hanqiu; Qin, Jing; Wang, Qiong; Heng, Pheng-Ann; Xiangyun Liao; Weixin Si; Zhiyong Yuan; Hanqiu Sun; Jing Qin; Qiong Wang; Pheng-Ann Heng

2018-03-01

Turbulent vortices in smoke flows are crucial for a visually interesting appearance. Unfortunately, it is challenging to efficiently simulate these appealing effects in the framework of vortex filament methods. The vortex filaments in grids scheme allows to efficiently generate turbulent smoke with macroscopic vortical structures, but suffers from the projection-related dissipation, and thus the small-scale vortical structures under grid resolution are hard to capture. In addition, this scheme cannot be applied in wall-bounded turbulent smoke simulation, which requires efficiently handling smoke-obstacle interaction and creating vorticity at the obstacle boundary. To tackle above issues, we propose an effective filament-mesh particle-particle (FMPP) method for fast wall-bounded turbulent smoke simulation with ample details. The Filament-Mesh component approximates the smooth long-range interactions by splatting vortex filaments on grid, solving the Poisson problem with a fast solver, and then interpolating back to smoke particles. The Particle-Particle component introduces smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) turbulence model for particles in the same grid, where interactions between particles cannot be properly captured under grid resolution. Then, we sample the surface of obstacles with boundary particles, allowing the interaction between smoke and obstacle being treated as pressure forces in SPH. Besides, the vortex formation region is defined at the back of obstacles, providing smoke particles flowing by the separation particles with a vorticity force to simulate the subsequent vortex shedding phenomenon. The proposed approach can synthesize the lost small-scale vortical structures and also achieve the smoke-obstacle interaction with vortex shedding at obstacle boundaries in a lightweight manner. The experimental results demonstrate that our FMPP method can achieve more appealing visual effects than vortex filaments in grids scheme by efficiently simulating more vivid thin turbulent features.

Multifractal characteristics of optical turbulence measured through a single beam holographic process.

PubMed

Pérez, Darío G; Barillé, Regis; Morille, Yohann; Zielińska, Sonia; Ortyl, Ewelina

2014-08-11

We have previously shown that azopolymer thin films exposed to coherent light that has travelled through a turbulent medium produces a surface relief grating containing information about the intensity of the turbulence; for instance, a relation between the refractive index structure constant C(n)2 as a function of the surface parameters was obtained. In this work, we show that these films capture much more information about the turbulence dynamics. Multifractal detrended fluctuation and fractal dimension analysis from images of the surface roughness produced by the light on the azopolymer reveals scaling properties related to those of the optical turbulence.

Numerical simulation of turbulence and terahertz magnetosonic waves generation in collisionless plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Narender; Singh, Ram Kishor; Sharma, Swati; Uma, R.; Sharma, R. P.

2018-01-01

This paper presents numerical simulations of laser beam (x-mode) coupling with a magnetosonic wave (MSW) in a collisionless plasma. The coupling arises through ponderomotive non-linearity. The pump beam has been perturbed by a periodic perturbation that leads to the nonlinear evolution of the laser beam. It is observed that the frequency spectra of the MSW have peaks at terahertz frequencies. The simulation results show quite complex localized structures that grow with time. The ensemble averaged power spectrum has also been studied which indicates that the spectral index follows an approximate scaling of the order of ˜ k-2.1 at large scales and scaling of the order of ˜ k-3.6 at smaller scales. The results indicate considerable randomness in the spatial structure of the magnetic field profile which gives sufficient indication of turbulence.

Turbulence effects on a full-scale 2.5 MW horizontal axis wind turbine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chamorro, Leonardo; Lee, Seung-Jae; Olsen, David; Milliren, Chris; Marr, Jeff; Arndt, Roger; Sotiropoulos, Fotis

2012-11-01

Power fluctuations and fatigue loads are among the most significant problems that wind turbines face throughout their lifetime. Turbulence is the common driving mechanism that triggers instabilities on these quantities. We investigate the complex response of a full-scale 2.5 MW wind turbine under nearly neutral thermal stratification. The study is performed in the EOLOS Wind Energy Research Field Station of the University of Minnesota. An instrumented 130 meter meteorological tower located upstream of a Clipper Liberty C96 wind turbine is used to characterize the turbulent flow and atmospheric conditions right upstream of the wind turbine. High resolution and synchronous measurements of the wind velocity, turbine power and strain at the tower foundation are used to determine the scale-to-scale interaction between flow and the wind turbine. The structure of the fluctuating turbine power and instantaneous stresses are studied in detail. Important insights about the role of turbulent and coherent motions as well as strong intermittent gusts will be discussed. Funding was provided by Department of Energy DOE (DE-EE0002980) and Xcel Energy through the Renewable Development Fund (grant RD3-42).

Multiscale plant wakes, turbulence and non linear scaling flexible effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vila, Teresa; Redondo, Jose M.; Velasco, David

2010-05-01

We present velocity ADV measurements and flow visualization of the turbulent wakes behind plant arrays, as these are often fractal in nature, we compare the multifractal spectra and the turbulence structure behind the wakes. Both statistical measures allowing to calculate integral lengthscales and their profiles modified by the plant cannopies [1,2] as well as intermittency and spectral behaviour are also measured [3,4]. We distinguish several momentum transfer mechanisms between the cannopy and the flow, an internal one where lateral turbulent tensions are dominant, and another one just above the plant average height dominated by vertical Reynolds stresses. Visualization of flow over individual plant models show the role of coherent vortices triggered by plant elasticity. The deformation rate of the plants and their Youngs modulus may be correlated with overal plant drag and geometry. This is modified strongly in fractal canopies. Large turbulent integral scales are linked to rugosity and the scaling of the waves.[5,6] Pearlescence experiments where local shear is visualized and numerical simulations of Fractal grids are compared following [7]. [1] Nepf,H.M. Drag, turbulence and diffusion in flow through emergent vegetation. Water Resources Res. 35(2)(1999) [2] Ben Mahjoub,O., Redondo J.M. and Babiano A. Jour.Structure functions in complex flows. Flow Turbulence and Combustion 59, 299-313. [3] El-Hakim, O. Salama, M. Velocity distribution inside and above branched flexible roughness. ASCE Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, Vol. 118, No 6, (November/December 1992) 914-927. [4] Finnigan,J. Turbulence in plant canopies. Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech. 2000 , Vol. 32: 519-571. [5] Ikeda, S., Kanazawa, M. Three- dimensional organized vortices above flexible water plants. ASCE Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, Vol. 122, No 11, (1996) 634-640. [6] Velasco, D.,Bateman A.,Redondo J.M and Medina V. An open channel flow experimental and theorical study of resistance and turbulent characterization over flexible vegetated linnings. Flow, Turbulence and Combustion. 70, 69-88. [7] Layzet S. Vassilicos C. Vila T and Redondo J.M. I.O.P Fractal grids and wakes, Proceedings on Earth sciences (2009)

Vorticity scaling and intermittency in drift-interchange plasma turbulence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Dura, P. D.; Hnat, B.; Robinson, J.

2012-09-15

The effects of spatially varying magnetic field strength on the scaling properties of plasma turbulence, modelled by an extended form of Hasegawa-Wakatani model, are investigated. We study changes in the intermittency of the velocity, density, and vorticity fields, as functions of the magnetic field inhomogeneity C=-{partial_derivative} ln B/{partial_derivative}x. While the velocity fluctuations are always self-similar and their scaling is unaffected by the value of C, the intermittency levels in density and vorticity change with parameter C, reflecting morphological changes in the coherent structures due to the interchange mechanism. Given the centrality of vorticity in conditioning plasma transport, this result ismore » of interest in scaling the results of transport measurements and simulations in tokamak edge plasmas, where drift-interchange turbulence in the presence of a magnetic field gradient is likely to occur.« less

Impact of Ocean Surface Waves on Air-Sea Momentum Flux

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tamura, H.; Drennan, W. M.; Collins, C. O., III; Graber, H. C.

2016-02-01

In this study, we investigated the structure of turbulent air flow over ocean waves. Observations of wind and waves were retrieved by air-sea interaction spar (ASIS) buoys during the shoaling waves experiment (SHOWEX) in Duck, NC in 1999. It is shown that the turbulent velocity spectra and co-spectra for pure wind sea conditions follow the universal forms estimated by Miyake et al [1970]. In the presence of strong swells, the wave boundary layer was extended and the universal spectral scaling of u'w' broke down [Drennan et al, 1999]. On the other hand, the use of the peak wave frequency (fp) to reproduce the "universal spectra" succeeded at explaining the spectral structure of turbulent flow field. The u'w' co-spectra become negative near the fp, which suggests the upward momentum transport (i.e., negative wind stress) induced by ocean waves. Finally, we propose three turbulent flow structures for different wind-wave regimes.

Performance analysis of a Hartmann wavefront sensor used for sensing atmospheric turbulence statistics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Welsh, Byron M.; Reeves, Toby D.; Roggemann, Michael C.

1997-09-01

The ability to measure atmospheric turbulence characteristics such as Fried's coherence diameter, the outer scale of turbulence, and the turbulence power law are critical for the optimized operation of adaptive optical telescopes. One approach for sensing these turbulence parameters is to use a Hartmann wavefront sensor (H-WFS) array to measure the wavefront slope structure function (SSF) . The SSF is defined as the second moment of the wavefront slope difference between any two subapertures separated in time and/or space. Accurate knowledge of the SSF allows turbulence parameters to be estimated. The H-WFS slope measurements, composed of a true slope signal corrupted by noise, are used to estimate the SSF by computing a mean square difference of slope signals from different subapertures. This computation is typically performed over a large number of H-WFS measurement frames. The quality of the SSF estimate is quantified by the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the estimator. The quality of the SSF estimate then can in turn be related to the quality of the atmospheric turbulence parameter estimates. This research develops a theoretical SNR expression for the SSF estimator. This SNR is a function of H-WFS geometry, the number of temporal measurement frames, the outer scale of turbulence, the turbulence spectrum power law, and the temporal properties of the turbulence. Results are presented for various H-WFS configurations and atmospheric turbulence properties.

The Interaction of High-Speed Turbulence with Flames

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poludnenko, Alexei Y.; Oran, E. S.

2010-01-01

Interaction of flames with turbulence occurs in systems ranging from chemical flames on Earth to thermonuclear burning fronts, which are presently believed to be the key component of the explosion mechanism powering the type Ia supernovae. A number of important questions remains concerning the dynamics of turbulent flames in the presence of high-speed turbulence, the flame structure and stability, as well as the ability of the turbulent cascade to penetrate and disrupt the flame creating the distributed mode of burning. We present results of a systematic study of the dynamics and properties of turbulent flames formed under the action of high-speed turbulence using a simplified one-step kinetics similar to the one used to describe hydrogen combustion. This approach makes large-scale highly resolved simulations computationally feasible and it allows one to focus on the process of the turbulence-flame interaction in a simplified controlled setting. Numerical simulations were performed using the massively parallel reactive-flow code Athena-RFX. We discuss global properties of the turbulent flame in this regime (flame width, speed, etc.) and the internal structure of the flame brush. A method is presented for directly reconstructing the internal flame structure and it is shown that correct characterization of the flame regime can be very sensitive to the proper choice of the diagnostic method. We discuss the ability of the turbulent cascade to penetrate the internal flame structure. Finally, we also consider the processes that determine the turbulent burning velocity and identify two distinct regimes of flame evolution. This work was supported in part by the National Research Council, Naval Research Laboratory, and the Office of Naval Research, and by the National Science Foundation through the TeraGrid resources.

Helicity fluctuations and turbulent energy production in rotating and non-rotating pipes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Orlandi, P.

1995-01-01

Finite-difference second-order accurate direct simulation of a turbulent pipe has been used to investigate how the turbulence production and dissipation change when a solid body rotation is applied. It is shown that when the helicity increases, the dissipation is reduced. It is asserted that to have a drag reduction the external action should be such as to disrupt the symmetry of right- and left-handed helical structures. In this study the Navier-Stokes equations in rotational form permit the turbulent energy production to be split into a part related to the energy cascade from large to small scales and into a part related to the convection by large scales. The full simulation data have shown the latter is greater than the former in the wall region and that, on the contrary, these two terms balance each other in the central region. From the pdf of the former, it has been shown how the vortical structures are changed in the wall region by the background radiation and how they are related to the changes in the energy production.

Temporal intermittency of energy dissipation in magnetohydrodynamic turbulence.

PubMed

Zhdankin, Vladimir; Uzdensky, Dmitri A; Boldyrev, Stanislav

2015-02-13

Energy dissipation in magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence is known to be highly intermittent in space, being concentrated in sheetlike coherent structures. Much less is known about intermittency in time, another fundamental aspect of turbulence which has great importance for observations of solar flares and other space or astrophysical phenomena. In this Letter, we investigate the temporal intermittency of energy dissipation in numerical simulations of MHD turbulence. We consider four-dimensional spatiotemporal structures, "flare events," responsible for a large fraction of the energy dissipation. We find that although the flare events are often highly complex, they exhibit robust power-law distributions and scaling relations. We find that the probability distribution of dissipated energy has a power-law index close to α≈1.75, similar to observations of solar flares, indicating that intense dissipative events dominate the heating of the system. We also discuss the temporal asymmetry of flare events as a signature of the turbulent cascade.

Stably Stratified Atmospheric Boundary Layers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahrt, L.

2014-01-01

Atmospheric boundary layers with weak stratification are relatively well described by similarity theory and numerical models for stationary horizontally homogeneous conditions. With common strong stratification, similarity theory becomes unreliable. The turbulence structure and interactions with the mean flow and small-scale nonturbulent motions assume a variety of scenarios. The turbulence is intermittent and may no longer fully satisfy the usual conditions for the definition of turbulence. Nonturbulent motions include wave-like motions and solitary modes, two-dimensional vortical modes, microfronts, intermittent drainage flows, and a host of more complex structures. The main source of turbulence may not be at the surface, but rather may result from shear above the surface inversion. The turbulence is typically not in equilibrium with the nonturbulent motions, sometimes preventing the formation of an inertial subrange. New observational and analysis techniques are expected to advance our understanding of the very stable boundary layer.

Kinetic-Scale Magnetic Turbulence and Finite Larmor Radius Effects at Mercury

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Uritsky, V. M.; Slavin, J. A.; Khazanov, G. V.; Donovan, E. F.; Boardsen, S. A.; Anderson, B. J.; Korth, H.

2011-01-01

We use a nonstationary generalization of the higher-order structure function technique to investigate statistical properties of the magnetic field fluctuations recorded by MESSENGER spacecraft during its first flyby (01/14/2008) through the near-Mercury space environment, with the emphasis on key boundary regions participating in the solar wind - magnetosphere interaction. Our analysis shows, for the first time, that kinetic-scale fluctuations play a significant role in the Mercury's magnetosphere up to the largest resolvable timescale (approx.20 s) imposed by the signal nonstationariry, suggesting that turbulence at this plane I is largely controlled by finite Larmor radius effects. In particular, we report the presence of a highly turbulent and extended foreshock system filled with packets of ULF oscillations, broad-band intermittent fluctuations in the magnetosheath, ion-kinetic turbulence in the central plasma sheet of Mercury's magnetotail, and kinetic-scale fluctuations in the inner current sheet encountered at the outbound (dawn-side) magnetopause. Overall, our measurements indicate that the Hermean magnetosphere, as well as the surrounding region, are strongly affected by non-MHD effects introduced by finite sizes of cyclotron orbits of the constituting ion species. Physical mechanisms of these effects and their potentially critical impact on the structure and dynamics of Mercury's magnetic field remain to be understood.

Turbulent Flow Structure Inside a Canopy with Complex Multi-Scale Elements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bai, Kunlun; Katz, Joseph; Meneveau, Charles

2015-06-01

Particle image velocimetry laboratory measurements are carried out to study mean flow distributions and turbulent statistics inside a canopy with complex geometry and multiple scales consisting of fractal, tree-like objects. Matching the optical refractive indices of the tree elements with those of the working fluid provides unobstructed optical paths for both illuminations and image acquisition. As a result, the flow fields between tree branches can be resolved in great detail, without optical interference. Statistical distributions of mean velocity, turbulence stresses, and components of dispersive fluxes are documented and discussed. The results show that the trees leave their signatures in the flow by imprinting wake structures with shapes similar to the trees. The velocities in both wake and non-wake regions significantly deviate from the spatially-averaged values. These local deviations result in strong dispersive fluxes, which are important to account for in canopy-flow modelling. In fact, we find that the streamwise normal dispersive flux inside the canopy has a larger magnitude (by up to four times) than the corresponding Reynolds normal stress. Turbulent transport in horizontal planes is studied in the framework of the eddy viscosity model. Scatter plots comparing the Reynolds shear stress and mean velocity gradient are indicative of a linear trend, from which one can calculate the eddy viscosity and mixing length. Similar to earlier results from the wake of a single tree, here we find that inside the canopy the mean mixing length decreases with increasing elevation. This trend cannot be scaled based on a single length scale, but can be described well by a model, which considers the coexistence of multi-scale branches. This agreement indicates that the multi-scale information and the clustering properties of the fractal objects should be taken into consideration in flows inside multi-scale canopies.

Multiscale Magnetic Underdense Regions on the Solar Surface: Granular and Mesogranular Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berrilli, F.; Scardigli, S.; Giordano, S.

2013-02-01

The Sun is a non-equilibrium, dissipative system subject to an energy flow that originates in its core. Convective overshooting motions create temperature and velocity structures that show a temporal and spatial multiscale evolution. As a result, photospheric structures are generally considered to be a direct manifestation of convective plasma motions. The plasma flows in the photosphere govern the motion of single magnetic elements. These elements are arranged in typical patterns, which are observed as a variety of multiscale magnetic patterns. High-resolution magnetograms of the quiet solar surface revealed the presence of multiscale magnetic underdense regions in the solar photosphere, commonly called voids, which may be considered to be a signature of the underlying convective structure. The analysis of such patterns paves the way for the investigation of all turbulent convective scales, from granular to global. In order to address the question of magnetic structures driven by turbulent convection at granular and mesogranular scales, we used a voids-detection method. The computed distribution of void length scales shows an exponential behavior at scales between 2 and 10 Mm and the absence of features at mesogranular scales. The absence of preferred scales of organization in the 2 - 10 Mm range supports the multiscale nature of flows on the solar surface and the absence of a mesogranular convective scale.

Pulsating Instability of Turbulent Thermonuclear Flames in Type Ia Supernovae

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poludnenko, Alexei Y.

2014-01-01

Presently, one of the main explosion scenarios of type Ia supernovae (SNIa), aimed at explaining both "normal" and subluminous events, is the thermonuclear incineration of a white-dwarf in a single-degenerate system. The underlying engine of such explosions is the turbulent thermonuclear flame. Modern, large-scale, multidimensional simulations of SNIa cannot resolve the internal flame structure, and instead must include a subgrid-scale prescription for the turbulent-flame properties. As a result, development of robust, parameter-free, large-scale models of SNIa crucially relies on the detailed understanding of the turbulent flame properties during each stage of the flame evolution. Due to the complexity of the flame dynamics, such understanding must be validated by the first-principles direct numerical simulations (DNS). In our previous work, we showed that sufficiently fast turbulent flames are inherently susceptible to the development of detonations, which may provide the mechanism for the deflagration-to-detonation transition (DDT) in the delayed-detonation model of SNIa. Here we extend this study by performing detailed analysis of the turbulent flame properties at turbulent intensities below the critical threshold for DDT. We carried out a suite of 3D DNS of turbulent flames for a broad range of turbulent intensities and system sizes using a simplified, single-step, Arrhenius-type reaction kinetics. Our results show that at the later stages of the explosion, as the turbulence intensity increases prior to the possible onset of DDT, the flame front will become violently unstable. We find that the burning rate exhibits periodic pulsations with the energy release rate varying by almost an order of magnitude. Furthermore, such flame pulsations can produce pressure waves and shocks as the flame speed approaches the critical Chapman-Jouguet deflagration speed. Finally, in contrast with the current theoretical understanding, such fast turbulent flames can propagate at speeds, which are much higher than the characteristic speeds of turbulent fluctuations. These effects can qualitatively change the dynamics of the explosion and, therefore, must be properly accounted for in the turbulent-flame subgrid-scale models.

Phase-relationships between scales in the perturbed turbulent boundary layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacobi, I.; McKeon, B. J.

2017-12-01

The phase-relationship between large-scale motions and small-scale fluctuations in a non-equilibrium turbulent boundary layer was investigated. A zero-pressure-gradient flat plate turbulent boundary layer was perturbed by a short array of two-dimensional roughness elements, both statically, and under dynamic actuation. Within the compound, dynamic perturbation, the forcing generated a synthetic very-large-scale motion (VLSM) within the flow. The flow was decomposed by phase-locking the flow measurements to the roughness forcing, and the phase-relationship between the synthetic VLSM and remaining fluctuating scales was explored by correlation techniques. The general relationship between large- and small-scale motions in the perturbed flow, without phase-locking, was also examined. The synthetic large scale cohered with smaller scales in the flow via a phase-relationship that is similar to that of natural large scales in an unperturbed flow, but with a much stronger organizing effect. Cospectral techniques were employed to describe the physical implications of the perturbation on the relative orientation of large- and small-scale structures in the flow. The correlation and cospectral techniques provide tools for designing more efficient control strategies that can indirectly control small-scale motions via the large scales.

REVIEWS OF TOPICAL PROBLEMS: The hydromagnetic dynamo as the source of planetary, solar, and galactic magnetism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeldovich, Ya B.; Ruzmaĭkin, A. A.

1987-06-01

The magnetism of most celestial bodies, i.e., planets, stars, and galaxies, is of hydromagnetic origin. The turbulent hydromagnetic dynamo is the principal mechanism whereby the magnetic field is amplified and maintained, and the theory of this phenomenon has advanced significantly in recent years. This review discusses applications of the theory of the turbulent dynamo to real objects, taking the Sun, the Earth, and the Galaxy as examples. Most of the discussion is concentrated on the large-scale magnetic field averaged over turbulent fluctuations. The average field is amplified and maintained by the average helicity of turbulent motion and large-scale shear flows such as differential rotation. The dynamo theory explains striking phenomena such as geomagnetic field reversal, the solar cycle, and the ring and bisymmetric structure of spiral galaxies.

Transport of cosmic-ray protons in intermittent heliospheric turbulence: Model and simulations

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Alouani-Bibi, Fathallah; Le Roux, Jakobus A., E-mail: fb0006@uah.edu

The transport of charged energetic particles in the presence of strong intermittent heliospheric turbulence is computationally analyzed based on known properties of the interplanetary magnetic field and solar wind plasma at 1 astronomical unit. The turbulence is assumed to be static, composite, and quasi-three-dimensional with a varying energy distribution between a one-dimensional Alfvénic (slab) and a structured two-dimensional component. The spatial fluctuations of the turbulent magnetic field are modeled either as homogeneous with a Gaussian probability distribution function (PDF), or as intermittent on large and small scales with a q-Gaussian PDF. Simulations showed that energetic particle diffusion coefficients both parallelmore » and perpendicular to the background magnetic field are significantly affected by intermittency in the turbulence. This effect is especially strong for parallel transport where for large-scale intermittency results show an extended phase of subdiffusive parallel transport during which cross-field transport diffusion dominates. The effects of intermittency are found to depend on particle rigidity and the fraction of slab energy in the turbulence, yielding a perpendicular to parallel mean free path ratio close to 1 for large-scale intermittency. Investigation of higher order transport moments (kurtosis) indicates that non-Gaussian statistical properties of the intermittent turbulent magnetic field are present in the parallel transport, especially for low rigidity particles at all times.« less

Meso-scale turbulence in living fluids

PubMed Central

Wensink, Henricus H.; Dunkel, Jörn; Heidenreich, Sebastian; Drescher, Knut; Goldstein, Raymond E.; Löwen, Hartmut; Yeomans, Julia M.

2012-01-01

Turbulence is ubiquitous, from oceanic currents to small-scale biological and quantum systems. Self-sustained turbulent motion in microbial suspensions presents an intriguing example of collective dynamical behavior among the simplest forms of life and is important for fluid mixing and molecular transport on the microscale. The mathematical characterization of turbulence phenomena in active nonequilibrium fluids proves even more difficult than for conventional liquids or gases. It is not known which features of turbulent phases in living matter are universal or system-specific or which generalizations of the Navier–Stokes equations are able to describe them adequately. Here, we combine experiments, particle simulations, and continuum theory to identify the statistical properties of self-sustained meso-scale turbulence in active systems. To study how dimensionality and boundary conditions affect collective bacterial dynamics, we measured energy spectra and structure functions in dense Bacillus subtilis suspensions in quasi-2D and 3D geometries. Our experimental results for the bacterial flow statistics agree well with predictions from a minimal model for self-propelled rods, suggesting that at high concentrations the collective motion of the bacteria is dominated by short-range interactions. To provide a basis for future theoretical studies, we propose a minimal continuum model for incompressible bacterial flow. A detailed numerical analysis of the 2D case shows that this theory can reproduce many of the experimentally observed features of self-sustained active turbulence. PMID:22908244

Meso-scale turbulence in living fluids.

PubMed

Wensink, Henricus H; Dunkel, Jörn; Heidenreich, Sebastian; Drescher, Knut; Goldstein, Raymond E; Löwen, Hartmut; Yeomans, Julia M

2012-09-04

Turbulence is ubiquitous, from oceanic currents to small-scale biological and quantum systems. Self-sustained turbulent motion in microbial suspensions presents an intriguing example of collective dynamical behavior among the simplest forms of life and is important for fluid mixing and molecular transport on the microscale. The mathematical characterization of turbulence phenomena in active nonequilibrium fluids proves even more difficult than for conventional liquids or gases. It is not known which features of turbulent phases in living matter are universal or system-specific or which generalizations of the Navier-Stokes equations are able to describe them adequately. Here, we combine experiments, particle simulations, and continuum theory to identify the statistical properties of self-sustained meso-scale turbulence in active systems. To study how dimensionality and boundary conditions affect collective bacterial dynamics, we measured energy spectra and structure functions in dense Bacillus subtilis suspensions in quasi-2D and 3D geometries. Our experimental results for the bacterial flow statistics agree well with predictions from a minimal model for self-propelled rods, suggesting that at high concentrations the collective motion of the bacteria is dominated by short-range interactions. To provide a basis for future theoretical studies, we propose a minimal continuum model for incompressible bacterial flow. A detailed numerical analysis of the 2D case shows that this theory can reproduce many of the experimentally observed features of self-sustained active turbulence.

Dynamo action in dissipative, forced, rotating MHD turbulence

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shebalin, John V.

2016-06-15

Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence is an inherent feature of large-scale, energetic astrophysical and geophysical magnetofluids. In general, these are rotating and are energized through buoyancy and shear, while viscosity and resistivity provide a means of dissipation of kinetic and magnetic energy. Studies of unforced, rotating, ideal (i.e., non-dissipative) MHD turbulence have produced interesting results, but it is important to determine how these results are affected by dissipation and forcing. Here, we extend our previous work and examine dissipative, forced, and rotating MHD turbulence. Incompressibility is assumed, and finite Fourier series represent turbulent velocity and magnetic field on a 64{sup 3} grid.more » Forcing occurs at an intermediate wave number by a method that keeps total energy relatively constant and allows for injection of kinetic and magnetic helicity. We find that 3-D energy spectra are asymmetric when forcing is present. We also find that dynamo action occurs when forcing has either kinetic or magnetic helicity, with magnetic helicity injection being more important. In forced, dissipative MHD turbulence, the dynamo manifests itself as a large-scale coherent structure that is similar to that seen in the ideal case. These results imply that MHD turbulence, per se, may play a fundamental role in the creation and maintenance of large-scale (i.e., dipolar) stellar and planetary magnetic fields.« less

Small Scales Structure of MHD Turbulence, Tubes or Ribbons?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verdini, A.; Grappin, R.; Alexandrova, O.; Lion, S.

2017-12-01

Observations in the solar wind indicate that turbulent eddies change their anisotropy with scales [1]. At large scales eddies are elongated in direction perpendicular to the mean-field axis. This is the result of solar wind expansion that affects both the anisotropy and single-spacecraft measurments [2,3]. At small scales one recovers the anisotropy expected in strong MHD turbulence and constrained by the so-called critical balance: eddies are elongated along the mean-field axis. However, the actual eddy shape is intermediate between tubes and ribbons, preventing us to discriminate between two concurrent theories that predict 2D axysimmetric anisotropy [4] or full 3D anisotropy [5]. We analyse 10 years of WIND data and apply a numerically-derived criterion to select intervals in which solar wind expansion is expected to be negligible. By computing the anisotropy of structure functions with respect to the local mean field we obtain for the first time scaling relations that are in agreement with full 3D anisotropy, i.e. ribbons-like structures. However, we cannot obtain the expected scaling relations for the alignment angle which, according to the theory, is physically responsible for the departure from axisymmetry. In addition, a further change of anisotropy occurs well above the proton scales. We discuss the implication of our findings and how numerical simulations can help interpreting the observed spectral anisotropy. [1] Chen et al., ApJ, 768:120, 2012 [2] Verdini & Grappin, ApJL, 808:L34, 2015 [3] Vech & Chen, ApJL, 832:L16, 2016 [4] Goldreich & Shridar, ApJ, 438:763, 1995 [5] Boldyrev, ApJL, 626:L37, 2005

Three Dimensional Energetics of Left Ventricle Flows Using Time-Resolved DPIV

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierrakos, Olga; Vlachos, Pavlos

2006-11-01

Left ventricular (LV) flows in the human heart are very complex and in the presence of unhealthy or prosthetic heart valves (HV), the complexity of the flow is further increased. Yet to date, no study has documented the complex 3D hemodynamic characteristics and energetics of LV flows. We present high sampling frequency Time Resolved DPIV results obtained in a flexible, transparent LV documenting the evolution of eddies and turbulence. The purpose is to characterize the energetics of the LV flow field in the presence of four orientations of the most commonly implanted mechanical bileaflet HV and a porcine valve. By decomposing the energy scales of the flow field, the ultimate goal is to quantify the total energy losses associated with vortex ring formation and turbulence dissipation. The energies associated to vortex ring formation give a measure of the energy trapped within the structure while estimations of the turbulence dissipation rate (TDR) give a measure of the energy dissipated at the smaller scales. For the first time in cardiovascular applications, an LES-based PIV method, which overcomes the limitations of conventional TDR estimation methods that assume homogeneous isotropic turbulence, was employed. We observed that energy lost at the larger scales (vortex ring) is much higher than the energy lost at the smaller scales due to turbulence dissipation.

Evaluation of wind regimes and their impact on vertical mixing and coupling in a moderately dense forest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wunder, Tobias; Ehrnsperger, Laura; Thomas, Christoph

2017-04-01

In the last decades much attention has been devoted to improving our understanding of organized motions in plant canopies. Particularly the impact of coherent structures on turbulent flows and vertical mixing in near-neutral conditions has been the focus of many experimental and modeling studies. Despite this progress, the weak-wind subcanopy airflow in concert with stable or weak-wind above-canopy conditions remains poorly understood. In these conditions, evidence is mounting that larger-scale motions, so called sub-meso motions which occupy time scales from minutes to hours and spatial scales from tens of meters to kilometers, dominate transport and turbulent mixing particularly in the subcanopy, because of generally weaker background flow as a result of the enhanced friction due to the plant material. We collected observations from a network of fast-response sensor across the vertical and horizontal dimensions during the INTRAMIX experiment at the Fluxnet site Waldstein/ Weidenbrunnen (DE-Bay) in a moderately dense Norway spruce (Picea Abies) forest over a period of ten weeks. Its main goal was to investigate the role of the submeso-structures on the turbulent wind field and the mixing mechanisms including coherent structures. In a first step, coupling regimes differentiating between weak and strong flows and day- and nighttime-conditions are determined. Subsequently, each of the regimes is analyzed for its dominant flow dynamics identified by wavelet analysis. It is hypothesized that strong vertical wind directional shear does not necessarily indicate a decoupling of vertical layers, but on the contrary may create situations of significant coupling of the sub-canopy with the canopy layers above. Moreover, rapid changes of wind direction or even reversals may generate substantial turbulence and induce intermittent coupling on a variety of time scales. The overarching goal is to improve diagnostics for vertical mixing in plant canopies incorporating turbulence and submeso-motions and to develop a classification of flow modes capable of representing the main driving mechanisms of mixing in forest canopies.

Non-Gaussianity and cross-scale coupling in interplanetary magnetic field turbulence during a rope-rope magnetic reconnection event

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miranda, Rodrigo A.; Schelin, Adriane B.; Chian, Abraham C.-L.; Ferreira, José L.

2018-03-01

In a recent paper (Chian et al., 2016) it was shown that magnetic reconnection at the interface region between two magnetic flux ropes is responsible for the genesis of interplanetary intermittent turbulence. The normalized third-order moment (skewness) and the normalized fourth-order moment (kurtosis) display a quadratic relation with a parabolic shape that is commonly observed in observational data from turbulence in fluids and plasmas, and is linked to non-Gaussian fluctuations due to coherent structures. In this paper we perform a detailed study of the relation between the skewness and the kurtosis of the modulus of the magnetic field |B| during a triple interplanetary magnetic flux rope event. In addition, we investigate the skewness-kurtosis relation of two-point differences of |B| for the same event. The parabolic relation displays scale dependence and is found to be enhanced during magnetic reconnection, rendering support for the generation of non-Gaussian coherent structures via rope-rope magnetic reconnection. Our results also indicate that a direct coupling between the scales of magnetic flux ropes and the scales within the inertial subrange occurs in the solar wind.

The multiscale nature of magnetic pattern on the solar surface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scardigli, S.; Del Moro, D.; Berrilli, F.

Multiscale magnetic underdense regions (voids) appear in high resolution magnetograms of quiet solar surface. These regions may be considered a signature of the underlying convective structure. The study of the associated pattern paves the way for the study of turbulent convective scales from granular to global. In order to address the question of magnetic pattern driven by turbulent convection we used a novel automatic void detection method to calculate void distributions. The absence of preferred scales of organization in the calculated distributions supports the multiscale nature of flows on the solar surface and the absence of preferred convective scales.

Characteristics of low reynolds number shear-free turbulence at an impermeable base.

PubMed

Wan Mohtar, W H M; ElShafie, A

2014-01-01

Shear-free turbulence generated from an oscillating grid in a water tank impinging on an impermeable surface at varying Reynolds number 74 ≤ Re(l) ≤ 570 was studied experimentally, where the Reynolds number is defined based on the root-mean-square (r.m.s) horizontal velocity and the integral length scale. A particular focus was paid to the turbulence characteristics for low Re(l) < 150 to investigate the minimum limit of Re l obeying the profiles of rapid distortion theory. The measurements taken at near base included the r.m.s turbulent velocities, evolution of isotropy, integral length scales, and energy spectra. Statistical analysis of the velocity data showed that the anisotropic turbulence structure follows the theory for flows with Re(l) ≥ 117. At low Re(l) < 117, however, the turbulence profile deviated from the prediction where no amplification of horizontal velocity components was observed and the vertical velocity components were seen to be constant towards the tank base. Both velocity components sharply decreased towards zero at a distance of ≈ 1/3 of the integral length scale above the base due to viscous damping. The lower limit where Re(l) obeys the standard profile was found to be within the range 114 ≤ Re(l) ≤ 116.

Characteristics of Low Reynolds Number Shear-Free Turbulence at an Impermeable Base

PubMed Central

Wan Mohtar, W. H. M.; ElShafie, A.

2014-01-01

Shear-free turbulence generated from an oscillating grid in a water tank impinging on an impermeable surface at varying Reynolds number 74 ≤ Re l ≤ 570 was studied experimentally, where the Reynolds number is defined based on the root-mean-square (r.m.s) horizontal velocity and the integral length scale. A particular focus was paid to the turbulence characteristics for low Re l < 150 to investigate the minimum limit of Re l obeying the profiles of rapid distortion theory. The measurements taken at near base included the r.m.s turbulent velocities, evolution of isotropy, integral length scales, and energy spectra. Statistical analysis of the velocity data showed that the anisotropic turbulence structure follows the theory for flows with Re l ≥ 117. At low Re l < 117, however, the turbulence profile deviated from the prediction where no amplification of horizontal velocity components was observed and the vertical velocity components were seen to be constant towards the tank base. Both velocity components sharply decreased towards zero at a distance of ≈1/3 of the integral length scale above the base due to viscous damping. The lower limit where Re l obeys the standard profile was found to be within the range 114 ≤ Re l ≤ 116. PMID:25250384

Three-dimensional large-eddy simulations of the early phase of contrail-to-cirrus transition: effects of atmospheric turbulence and radiative transfer

DOE PAGES

Paoli, Roberto; Thouron, Odile; Cariolle, Daniel; ...

2017-12-08

Here, this article presents the results from numerical experiments of the early phase of contrail-cirrus formation using a limited set of fully three-dimensional, high-resolution large-eddy-simulations. The focus is laid on the interplay between atmospheric turbulence and the radiative transfer (and to a limited extent the ambient ice relative humidity), and how this interaction affects the contrail evolution and the characteristics of the resulting contrail-cirrus one hour after emission. Turbulence is sustained via a large-scale stochastic forcing that creates a non-uniform shear in addition to pure turbulent fluctuations. This effect manifests in the formation of vertically sheared structures of ice crystals.more » When radiative transfer is activated, ice tends to redistribute more uniformly along the vertical direction forming spotty vertical structures. For the conditions analyzed in this study, atmospheric turbulence, inclusive of non-uniform turbulent shear and turbulent fluctuations, affects primarily the contrail width whereas the microphysical properties such ice water path and ice mass are controlled by radiative transfer and relative humidity.« less

Three-dimensional large-eddy simulations of the early phase of contrail-to-cirrus transition: effects of atmospheric turbulence and radiative transfer

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Paoli, Roberto; Thouron, Odile; Cariolle, Daniel

Here, this article presents the results from numerical experiments of the early phase of contrail-cirrus formation using a limited set of fully three-dimensional, high-resolution large-eddy-simulations. The focus is laid on the interplay between atmospheric turbulence and the radiative transfer (and to a limited extent the ambient ice relative humidity), and how this interaction affects the contrail evolution and the characteristics of the resulting contrail-cirrus one hour after emission. Turbulence is sustained via a large-scale stochastic forcing that creates a non-uniform shear in addition to pure turbulent fluctuations. This effect manifests in the formation of vertically sheared structures of ice crystals.more » When radiative transfer is activated, ice tends to redistribute more uniformly along the vertical direction forming spotty vertical structures. For the conditions analyzed in this study, atmospheric turbulence, inclusive of non-uniform turbulent shear and turbulent fluctuations, affects primarily the contrail width whereas the microphysical properties such ice water path and ice mass are controlled by radiative transfer and relative humidity.« less

Challenges in Scale-Resolving Simulations of turbulent wake flows with coherent structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, Filipe S.; Eça, Luís; Vaz, Guilherme; Girimaji, Sharath S.

2018-06-01

The objective of this work is to investigate the challenges encountered in Scale-Resolving Simulations (SRS) of turbulent wake flows driven by spatially-developing coherent structures. SRS of practical interest are expressly intended for efficiently computing such flows by resolving only the most important features of the coherent structures and modelling the remainder as stochastic field. The success of SRS methods depends upon three important factors: i) ability to identify key flow mechanisms responsible for the generation of coherent structures; ii) determine the optimum range of resolution required to adequately capture key elements of coherent structures; and iii) ensure that the modelled part is comprised nearly exclusively of fully-developed stochastic turbulence. This study considers the canonical case of the flow around a circular cylinder to address the aforementioned three key issues. It is first demonstrated using experimental evidence that the vortex-shedding instability and flow-structure development involves four important stages. A series of SRS computations of progressively increasing resolution (decreasing cut-off length) are performed. An a priori basis for locating the origin of the coherent structures development is proposed and examined. The criterion is based on the fact that the coherent structures are generated by the Kelvin-Helmholtz (KH) instability. The most important finding is that the key aspects of coherent structures can be resolved only if the effective computational Reynolds number (based on total viscosity) exceeds the critical value of the KH instability in laminar flows. Finally, a quantitative criterion assessing the nature of the unresolved field based on the strain-rate ratio of mean and unresolved fields is examined. The two proposed conditions and rationale offer a quantitative basis for developing "good practice" guidelines for SRS of complex turbulent wake flows with coherent structures.

The turbulence structure of katabatic flows below and above wind-speed maximum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grachev, Andrey; Leo, Laura; Di Sabatino, Silvana; Fernando, Harindra; Pardyjak, Eric; Fairall, Christopher

2015-04-01

Measurements of atmospheric small-scale turbulence made over the complex-terrain at the US Army Dugway Proving Grounds in Utah during the Mountain Terrain Atmospheric Modeling and Observations (MATERHORN) Program are used to describe the turbulence structure of katabatic flows. Turbulent and mean meteorological data were continuously measured at multiple levels (up to seven) on four towers deployed along East lower slope (2-4 degrees) of Granite Mountain. The multi-level, multi-tower observations obtained during a 30-day long MATERHORN-Fall field campaign in September-October 2102 allow studying temporal and spatial structure of nocturnal slope flows in detail. In this study, we focus on the various statistics (fluxes, variances, spectra, cospectra, etc.) of the small-scale turbulence of katabatic winds. Observed vertical profiles of velocity, turbulent fluxes, and other quantities show steep gradients near the surface but in the layer above the slope jet these variables vary with height more slowly than near the surface. It is found that vertical momentum flux and horizontal heat (buoyancy) flux in a slope-following coordinate system change their sign below and above the wind maximum of a katabatic flow. The vertical momentum flux is directed downward (upward) whereas the horizontal heat flux is downslope (upslope) below (above) the wind maximum. Our study, therefore, suggests that a position of the jet speed maximum can be derived from linear interpolation between positive and negative values of the momentum flux (or the horizontal heat flux) and determination of a height where a flux becomes zero. It is shown that the standard deviations of all wind speed components (and therefore the turbulent kinetic energy) and the dissipation rate of turbulent kinetic energy have a local minimum, whereas the standard deviation of air temperature has an absolute maximum at the height of wind speed maximum. We report several cases when the destructive effect of vertical heat (buoyancy) flux is completely cancelled by the generation of turbulence due to the horizontal heat (buoyancy) flux. Turbulence in the layer above the wind-speed maximum is decoupled from the surface and it is consistent with the classical local z-less predictions for stably stratified boundary layer.

TESTING THE EFFECTS OF EXPANSION ON SOLAR WIND TURBULENCE

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vech, Daniel; Chen, Christopher H K, E-mail: dvech@umich.edu

2016-11-20

We present a multi-spacecraft approach to test the predictions of recent studies on the effect of solar wind expansion on the radial spectral, variance, and local 3D anisotropies of the turbulence. We found that on small scales (5000–10,000 km) the power levels of the B-trace structure functions do not depend on the sampling direction with respect to the radial suggesting that on this scale the effect of expansion is small possibly due to fast turbulent timescales. On larger scales (110–135 R{sub E}), the fluctuations of the radial magnetic field component are reduced by ∼20% compared to the transverse (perpendicular tomore » radial) ones, which could be due to expansion confining the fluctuations into the plane perpendicular to radial. For the local 3D spectral anisotropy, the B-trace structure functions showed dependence on the sampling direction with respect to radial. The anisotropy in the perpendicular plane is reduced when the increments are taken perpendicular with respect to radial, which could be an effect of expansion.« less

Lagrangian single-particle turbulent statistics through the Hilbert-Huang transform.

PubMed

Huang, Yongxiang; Biferale, Luca; Calzavarini, Enrico; Sun, Chao; Toschi, Federico

2013-04-01

The Hilbert-Huang transform is applied to analyze single-particle Lagrangian velocity data from numerical simulations of hydrodynamic turbulence. The velocity trajectory is described in terms of a set of intrinsic mode functions C(i)(t) and of their instantaneous frequency ω(i)(t). On the basis of this decomposition we define the ω-conditioned statistical moments of the C(i) modes, named q-order Hilbert spectra (HS). We show that such quantities have enhanced scaling properties as compared to traditional Fourier transform- or correlation-based (structure functions) statistical indicators, thus providing better insights into the turbulent energy transfer process. We present clear empirical evidence that the energylike quantity, i.e., the second-order HS, displays a linear scaling in time in the inertial range, as expected from a dimensional analysis. We also measure high-order moment scaling exponents in a direct way, without resorting to the extended self-similarity procedure. This leads to an estimate of the Lagrangian structure function exponents which are consistent with the multifractal prediction in the Lagrangian frame as proposed by Biferale et al. [Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 064502 (2004)].

On the scaling of avaloids and turbulence with the average density approaching the density limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Antar, G. Y.; Counsell, G.; Ahn, J.-W.

2005-08-01

This article is dedicated to the characterization of turbulent transport in the scrape-off layer of the Mega Ampère Spherical Tokamak [A. Sykes et al., Phys. Plasmas 8, 2101 (2001)] as a function of the average density (nL). The aim is to answer a renewed interest in this subject since the bursty character of turbulence in the scrape-off layer was shown to be caused by large-scale events with high radial velocity reaching about 1/10th of the sound speed called avaloids [G. Antar et al., Phys. Rev. Lett 87, 065001 (2001)]. With increasing density, turbulence and transport increase nonlinearly at the midplane while remaining almost unchanged in the target region. Using various and complementary statistical analyses, the existence of a "critical" density, at nL/nG≃0.35 is emphasized; nG is the Greenwald density. Both above and below this density, intermittency decreases and avaloids play a decreasing role in the particle radial transport. This is interpreted as caused by the interplay between avaloids and the surrounding turbulent structures which mix them more efficiently with increasing density as the level of the background turbulence increases. The scaling of the different quantities with respect to the normalized density is obtained. It reveals that not only the level of turbulence and transport increase, but also the radial velocity and length scales. This increases the coupling between the hot plasma edge and the cold scrape-off layer that may explain the disruptive instability occurring at high densities.

Prediction of Acoustic Environments from Horizontal Rocket Firings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Giacomoni, Clothilde

2014-01-01

In recent years, advances in research and engineering have led to more powerful launch vehicles which can reach areas of space not yet explored. These more powerful vehicles yield acoustic environments potentially destructive to the vehicle or surrounding structures. Therefore, it has become increasingly important to be able to predict the acoustic environments created by these vehicles in order to avoid structural and/or competent failure. The current industry standard technique for predicting launch-induced acoustic environments was developed by Eldred in the early 1970's and is published in NASA SP-80721. Recent work2 has shown Eldred's technique to be inaccurate for current state-of-the-art launch vehicles. Due to the high cost of full-scale and even sub-scale rocket experiments, very little rocket noise data is available. Furthermore, much of the work thought to be applicable to rocket noise has been done with heated jets. Tam3,4 has done an extensive amount of research on jets of different nozzle exit shape, diameter, velocity, and temperature. Though the values of these parameters, especially exit velocity and temperature, are often very low compared to these values in rockets, a lot can be learned about rocket noise from jet noise literature. The turbulent nature of jet and rocket exhausts is quite similar. Both exhausts contain turbulent structures of varying scale-termed the fine and large scale turbulence by Tam. The finescale turbulence is due to small eddies from the jet plume interacting with the ambient atmosphere. According to Tam et al., the noise radiated by this envelope of small-scale turbulence is statistically isotropic. Hence, one would expect the noise from the small scale turbulence of the jet to be nearly omni-directional. The coherent nature of the large-scale turbulence results in interference of the noise radiated from different spatial locations within the jet. This interference-whether it is constructive or destructive-results in highly directional noise radiation. Tam3 has proposed a model to predict the acoustic environment due to jets and while it works extremely well for jets, it was found to be inappropriate for rockets8. A model to predict the acoustic environment due to a launch vehicle in the far-field which incorporates concepts from both Eldred and Tam was created. This was done using five sets of horizontally fired rocket data, obtained between 2008 and 2012. Three of these rockets use solid propellant and two use liquid propellant. Through scaling analysis, it is shown that liquid and solid rocket motors exhibit similar spectra at similar amplitudes. This model is accurate for these five data sets within 5 dB of the measured data for receiver angles of 30deg to 160deg (with respect to the downstream exhaust centerline). The model uses the following vehicle parameters: nozzle exit diameter and velocity, radial distance from source to receiver, receiver angle, mass flow rate, and acoustic efficiency.

Sharp magnetic structures from dynamos with density stratification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jabbari, Sarah; Brandenburg, Axel; Kleeorin, Nathan; Rogachevskii, Igor

2017-05-01

Recent direct numerical simulations (DNS) of large-scale turbulent dynamos in strongly stratified layers have resulted in surprisingly sharp bipolar structures at the surface. Here, we present new DNS of helically and non-helically forced turbulence with and without rotation and compare with corresponding mean-field simulations (MFS) to show that these structures are a generic outcome of a broader class of dynamos in density-stratified layers. The MFS agree qualitatively with the DNS, but the period of oscillations tends to be longer in the DNS. In both DNS and MFS, the sharp structures are produced by converging flows at the surface and might be driven in non-linear stage of evolution by the Lorentz force associated with the large-scale dynamo-driven magnetic field if the dynamo number is at least 2.5 times supercritical.

Turbulence in simulated H II regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Medina, S.-N. X.; Arthur, S. J.; Henney, W. J.; Mellema, G.; Gazol, A.

2014-12-01

We investigate the scale dependence of fluctuations inside a realistic model of an evolving turbulent H II region and to what extent these may be studied observationally. We find that the multiple scales of energy injection from champagne flows and the photoionization of clumps and filaments leads to a flatter spectrum of fluctuations than would be expected from top-down turbulence driven at the largest scales. The traditional structure function approach to the observational study of velocity fluctuations is shown to be incapable of reliably determining the velocity power spectrum of our simulation. We find that a more promising approach is the Velocity Channel Analysis technique of Lazarian & Pogosyan (2000), which, despite being intrinsically limited by thermal broadening, can successfully recover the logarithmic slope of the velocity power spectrum to a precision of ±0.1 from high-resolution optical emission-line spectroscopy.

Experimental analysis of the vorticity and turbulent flow dynamics of a pitching airfoil at realistic flight (helicopter) conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sahoo, Dipankar

Improved basic understanding, predictability, and controllability of vortex-dominated and unsteady aerodynamic flows are important in enhancement of the performance of next generation helicopters. The primary objective of this research project was improved understanding of the fundamental vorticity and turbulent flow physics for a dynamically stalling airfoil at realistic helicopter flight conditions. An experimental program was performed on a large-scale (C = 0.45 m) dynamically pitching NACA 0012 wing operating in the Texas A&M University large-scale wind tunnel. High-resolution particle image velocimetry data were acquired on the first 10-15% of the wing. Six test cases were examined including the unsteady (k>0) and steady (k=0) conditions. The relevant mechanical, shear and turbulent time-scales were all of comparable magnitude, which indicated that the flow was in a state of mechanical non-equilibrium, and the expected flow separation and reattachment hystersis was observed. Analyses of the databases provided new insights into the leading-edge Reynolds stress structure and the turbulent transport processes. Both of which were previously uncharacterized. During the upstroke motion of the wing, a bubble structure formed in the leading-edge Reynolds shear stress. The size of the bubble increased with increasing angle-of-attack before being diffused into a shear layer at full separation. The turbulent transport analyses indicated that the axial stress production was positive, where the transverse production was negative. This implied that axial turbulent stresses were being produced from the axial component of the mean flow. A significant portion of the energy was transferred to the transverse stress through the pressure-strain redistribution, and then back to the transverse mean flow through the negative transverse production. An opposite trend was observed further downstream of this region.

3D WindScanner lidar measurements of wind and turbulence around wind turbines, buildings and bridges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mikkelsen, T.; Sjöholm, M.; Angelou, N.; Mann, J.

2017-12-01

WindScanner is a distributed research infrastructure developed at DTU with the participation of a number of European countries. The research infrastructure consists of a mobile technically advanced facility for remote measurement of wind and turbulence in 3D. The WindScanners provide coordinated measurements of the entire wind and turbulence fields, of all three wind components scanned in 3D space. Although primarily developed for research related to on- and offshore wind turbines and wind farms, the facility is also well suited for scanning turbulent wind fields around buildings, bridges, aviation structures and of flow in urban environments. The mobile WindScanner facility enables 3D scanning of wind and turbulence fields in full scale within the atmospheric boundary layer at ranges from 10 meters to 5 (10) kilometers. Measurements of turbulent coherent structures are applied for investigation of flow pattern and dynamical loads from turbines, building structures and bridges and in relation to optimization of the location of, for example, wind farms and suspension bridges. This paper presents our achievements to date and reviews briefly the state-of-the-art of the WindScanner measurement technology with examples of uses for wind engineering applications.

Scale Properties of Anisotropic and Isotropic Turbulence in the Urban Surface Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Hao; Yuan, Renmin; Mei, Jie; Sun, Jianning; Liu, Qi; Wang, Yu

2017-11-01

The scale properties of anisotropic and isotropic turbulence in the urban surface layer are investigated. A dimensionless anisotropic tensor is introduced and the turbulent tensor anisotropic coefficient, defined as C, where C = 3d3 + 1 (d3 is the minimum eigenvalue of the tensor) is used to characterize the turbulence anisotropy or isotropy. Turbulence is isotropic when C ≈ 1, and anisotropic when C ≪ 1. Three-dimensional velocity data collected using a sonic anemometer are analyzed to obtain the anisotropic characteristics of atmospheric turbulence in the urban surface layer, and the tensor anisotropic coefficient of turbulent eddies at different spatial scales calculated. The analysis shows that C is strongly dependent on atmospheric stability ξ = (z-zd)/L_{{it{MO}}}, where z is the measurement height, zd is the displacement height, and L_{{it{MO}}} is the Obukhov length. The turbulence at a specific scale in unstable conditions (i.e., ξ < 0) is closer to isotropic than that at the same scale under stable conditions. The maximum isotropic scale of turbulence is determined based on the characteristics of the power spectrum in three directions. Turbulence does not behave isotropically when the eddy scale is greater than the maximum isotropic scale, whereas it is horizontally isotropic at relatively large scales. The maximum isotropic scale of turbulence is compared to the outer scale of temperature, which is obtained by fitting the temperature fluctuation spectrum using the von Karman turbulent model. The results show that the outer scale of temperature is greater than the maximum isotropic scale of turbulence.

A priori study of subgrid-scale features in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dabbagh, F.; Trias, F. X.; Gorobets, A.; Oliva, A.

2017-10-01

At the crossroad between flow topology analysis and turbulence modeling, a priori studies are a reliable tool to understand the underlying physics of the subgrid-scale (SGS) motions in turbulent flows. In this paper, properties of the SGS features in the framework of a large-eddy simulation are studied for a turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection (RBC). To do so, data from direct numerical simulation (DNS) of a turbulent air-filled RBC in a rectangular cavity of aspect ratio unity and π spanwise open-ended distance are used at two Rayleigh numbers R a ∈{1 08,1 010 } [Dabbagh et al., "On the evolution of flow topology in turbulent Rayleigh-Bénard convection," Phys. Fluids 28, 115105 (2016)]. First, DNS at Ra = 108 is used to assess the performance of eddy-viscosity models such as QR, Wall-Adapting Local Eddy-viscosity (WALE), and the recent S3PQR-models proposed by Trias et al. ["Building proper invariants for eddy-viscosity subgrid-scale models," Phys. Fluids 27, 065103 (2015)]. The outcomes imply that the eddy-viscosity modeling smoothes the coarse-grained viscous straining and retrieves fairly well the effect of the kinetic unfiltered scales in order to reproduce the coherent large scales. However, these models fail to approach the exact evolution of the SGS heat flux and are incapable to reproduce well the further dominant rotational enstrophy pertaining to the buoyant production. Afterwards, the key ingredients of eddy-viscosity, νt, and eddy-diffusivity, κt, are calculated a priori and revealed positive prevalent values to maintain a turbulent wind essentially driven by the mean buoyant force at the sidewalls. The topological analysis suggests that the effective turbulent diffusion paradigm and the hypothesis of a constant turbulent Prandtl number are only applicable in the large-scale strain-dominated areas in the bulk. It is shown that the bulk-dominated rotational structures of vortex-stretching (and its synchronous viscous dissipative structures) hold the highest positive values of νt; however, the zones of backscatter energy and counter-gradient heat transport are related to the areas of compressed focal vorticity. More arguments have been attained through a priori investigation of the alignment trends imposed by existing parameterizations for the SGS heat flux, tested here inside RBC. It is shown that the parameterizations based linearly on the resolved thermal gradient are invalid in RBC. Alternatively, the tensor-diffusivity approach becomes a crucial choice of modeling the SGS heat flux, in particular, the tensorial diffusivity that includes the SGS stress tensor. This and other crucial scrutinies on a future modeling to the SGS heat flux in RBC are sought.

General-relativistic Large-eddy Simulations of Binary Neutron Star Mergers

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Radice, David, E-mail: dradice@astro.princeton.edu

The flow inside remnants of binary neutron star (NS) mergers is expected to be turbulent, because of magnetohydrodynamics instability activated at scales too small to be resolved in simulations. To study the large-scale impact of these instabilities, we develop a new formalism, based on the large-eddy simulation technique, for the modeling of subgrid-scale turbulent transport in general relativity. We apply it, for the first time, to the simulation of the late-inspiral and merger of two NSs. We find that turbulence can significantly affect the structure and survival time of the merger remnant, as well as its gravitational-wave (GW) and neutrinomore » emissions. The former will be relevant for GW observation of merging NSs. The latter will affect the composition of the outflow driven by the merger and might influence its nucleosynthetic yields. The accretion rate after black hole formation is also affected. Nevertheless, we find that, for the most likely values of the turbulence mixing efficiency, these effects are relatively small and the GW signal will be affected only weakly by the turbulence. Thus, our simulations provide a first validation of all existing post-merger GW models.« less

Exploring reconnection, current sheets, and dissipation in a laboratory MHD turbulence experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schaffner, D. A.

2015-12-01

The Swarthmore Spheromak Experiment (SSX) can serve as a testbed for studying MHD turbulence in a controllable laboratory setting, and in particular, explore the phenomena of reconnection, current sheets and dissipation in MHD turbulence. Plasma with turbulently fluctuating magnetic and velocity fields can be generated using a plasma gun source and launched into a flux-conserving cylindrical tunnel. No background magnetic field is applied so internal fields are allowed to evolve dynamically. Point measurements of magnetic and velocity fluctuations yield broadband power-law spectra with a steepening breakpoint indicative of the onset of a dissipation scale. The frequency range at which this steepening occurs can be correlated to the ion inertial scale of the plasma, a length which is characteristic of the size of current sheets in MHD plasmas and suggests a connection to dissipation. Observation of non-Gaussian intermittent jumps in magnetic field magnitude and angle along with measurements of ion temperature bursts suggests the presence of current sheets embedded within the turbulent plasma, and possibly even active reconnection sites. Additionally, structure function analysis coupled with appeals to fractal scaling models support the hypothesis that current sheets are associated with dissipation in this system.

A study on the non Maxwellian nature of ion velocity distribution functions using Magnetospheric Multiscale (MMS) data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valentini, F.; Perri, S.; Yordanova, E.; Paterson, W. R.; Gershman, D. J.; Giles, B. L.; Pollock, C. J.; Dorelli, J.; Avanov, L. A.; Lavraud, B.; Saito, Y.; Nakamura, R.; Fischer, D.; Baumjohann, W.; Plaschke, F.; Narita, Y.; Magnes, W.; Russell, C. T.; Strangeway, R. J.; Le Contel, O.

2017-12-01

The interplanetary space is permeated by a plasma where effects of collisions among particles can be considered negligible. In such a weekly collisional medium, in the range of scales where kinetic effects dominate the plasma dynamics, the particle velocity distribution functions (VDF) are observed to be far from the thermodynamic equilibrium. Moreover, recent numerical self-consistent and nonlinear models of plasma turbulence dynamics have shown the presence of significant non-Maxwellian features in the particle VDFs, caused by kinetic effects, which become dominant in the turbulent cascade at ion scales. In particular, a kinetic hybrid Vlasov-Maxwell (HVM) numerical code, which reproduces the turbulent energy cascade down to ion scales, has highlighted significant departures of the ion VDFs from Maxwellian and a local temperature anisotropy close to current sheets structures generated by the turbulent cascade and close to regions of high ion vorticity.In this work, we make use of the high resolution (150 ms) ion and electron VDFs from Fast Plasma Investigation (FPI) instrument on board MMS and the about 1kHz resolution magnetic field data to investigate the possible presence of non-Maxwellian features in the ion VDFs close to intermittent magnetic structures and regions of high current density and vorticity. The data are relevant to a period where the MMS spacecraft was immersed in the turbulent magnetosheath (see Yordanova et al., 2016). The aim is to compare the analysis made by Valentini et al., 2016 on proton and alpha particles in the HVM simulations with the analysis made on the MMS data, and to deeply characterize the ion dynamics in the near Earth plasma. It is worth mentioning that thanks to its very high resolution plasma data, MMS has given the opportunity to study in details kinetic effects in plasma turbulence, down to electron scales.

Development of an Aero-Optics Software Library and Integration into Structured Overset and Unstructured Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Flow Solvers

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-04-01

some similarities to the far- field (i.e. atmospheric ) propagation, but due to the interactions between turbulence length scales, beam wavelengths...equivalently, phase differences, have been used to characterize the beam distortion caused by the unsteady turbulent flow field. A Partially-Averaged Navier...A., Wang, M., and Moin, P., “Computational Study of Aero-Optical Distortion by Turbulent Wake,” AIAA Paper 2005-4655. [11] Mani, A., Wang, M., and

Aspects of turbulent-shear-layer dynamics and mixing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Slessor, Michael David

Experiments have been conducted in the GALCIT Supersonic Shear Layer Facility to investigate some aspects of high-Reynolds-number, turbulent, shearlayer flows in both incompressible- and compressible-flow regimes. Experiments designed to address several issues were performed; effects of inflow boundary conditions, freestream conditions (supersonic/subsonic flow), and compressibility, on both large-scale dynamics and small-scale mixing, are described. Chemically-reacting and non-reacting flows were investigated, the former relying on the (H2 + NO/F2) chemical system, in the fast-kinetic regime, to infer the structure and amount of molecular-scale mixing through use of "flip" experiments. A variety of experimental techniques, including a color-schlieren visualization system developed as part of this work, were used to study the flows. Both inflow conditions and compressibility are found to have significant effects on the flow. In particular, inflow conditions are "remembered" for long distances downstream, a sensitivity similar to that observed in low-dimensionality, non-linear (chaotic) systems. The global flowfields (freestreams coupled by the shear layer) of transonic flows exhibit a sensitivity to imposed boundary conditions, i. e., local area ratios. A previously-proposed mode-selection rule for turbulent-structure convection speeds, based on the presence of a lab-frame subsonic freestream, was experimentally demonstrated to be incorrect. Compressibility, when decoupled from all other parameters, e.g., Reynolds number, velocity and density ratios, etc., reduces laxge-scale entrainment and turbulent growth, but slightly enhances smallscale mixing, with an associated change in the structure of the molecularly-mixed fluid. This reduction in shear-layer growth rate is examined and a new parameter that interprets compressibility as an energy-exchange mechanism is proposed. The parameter reconciles and collapses experimentally-observed growth rates.

Is 2-D turbulence relevant in the atmosphere?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lovejoy, Shaun; Schertzer, Daniel

2010-05-01

Starting with (Taylor, 1935), the paradigm of isotropic (and scaling!) turbulence was developed initially for laboratory applications, but following (Kolmogorov, 1941), three dimensional isotropic turbulence was progressively applied to the atmosphere. Since the atmosphere is strongly stratified, a single wide scale range model which is both isotropic and scaling is not possible so that theorists had to immediately choose between the two symmetries: isotropy or scale invariance. Following the development of models of two dimensional isotropic turbulence ((Fjortoft, 1953), but especially (Kraichnan, 1967) and (Charney, 1971)), the mainstream choice was to first make the convenient assumption of isotropy and to drop wide range scale invariance. Starting at the end of the 1970's this "isotropy primary" (IP) paradigm has lead to a series of increasingly complex isotropic 2D/isotropic 3D models of atmospheric dynamics which continue to dominate the theoretical landscape. Justifications for IP approaches have focused almost exclusively on the horizontal statistics of the horizontal wind in both numerical models and analyses and from aircraft campaigns, especially the highly cited GASP (Nastrom and Gage, 1983), (Gage and Nastrom, 1986; Nastrom and Gage, 1985) and MOZAIC (Cho and Lindborg, 2001) experiments. Since understanding the anisotropy clearly requires comparisons between horizontal and vertical statistics/structures this focus has been unfortunate. Over the same thirty year period that 2D/3D isotropic models were being elaborated, evidence slowly accumulated in favour of the opposite theoretical choice: to drop the isotropy assumption but to retain wide range scaling. The models in the alternative paradigm are scaling but strongly anisotropic with vertical sections of structures becoming increasingly stratified at larger and larger scales albeit in a power law manner; we collectively refer to these as "SP" for "scaling primary" approaches. Early authors explicitly using SP models to explain their observations include ((Van Zandt, 1982), (Schertzer and Lovejoy, 1985), (Schertzer and Lovejoy, 1987), (Fritts et al., 1988), (Tsuda et al., 1989), (Dewan, 1997; Lazarev et al., 1994), (Gardner et al., 1993), (Hostetler and Gardner, 1994). In addition, many experiments found non-standard vertical scaling exponents thus implicitly supporting the SP position. Today, state-of-the-art lidar vertical sections of passive scalars (Lilley et al., 2004) or satellite vertical radar sections of clouds give direct evidence for the corresponding scaling (power law) stratification of structures. State-of-the-art drop sondes have even been used to show that the IP standard bearer - 3D isotropic Kolmogorov turbulence - apparently doesn't exist in the atmosphere at any scale at least down to 5 m in scale or at any altitude level within the troposphere (Lovejoy et al., 2007). At the same time, massive quantities of high quality satellite data have directly demonstrated the wide range horizontal scaling of the atmospheric forcing (long and short wave radiances; see e.g. (Lovejoy et al., 2009a)) and numerical atmospheric models and reanalyses have been shown to display nearly perfect (scaling) cascade structures over their entire available horizontal ranges (Stolle et al., 2009). This shows also that the source/sink free "inertial ranges" used in IP models are at best academic idealizations. The IP/SP opposition is arguably a main contributor to today's lack of scientific consensus about the scale by scale statistical structure of both the atmosphere and of atmospheric models and reanalyses. In order to resolve the deadlock, either the IP camp must show how the findings of wide range vertical and horizontal scaling can be adequately explained through a hierarchy of isotropic models, or the SP camp must explain the key aircraft and numerical model results cited against them as evidence of two (or more) isotropic regimes. In this talk we review the debate and argue that now exactly such a reinterpretation of the aircraft data has been found (Lovejoy et al., 2009b). We argue that the debate has now been decisively resolved in favour of the SP approaches so that neither 2-D isotropic nor 3D isotropic turbulence - are relevant in the atmosphere. References: J.G. Charney, Geostrophic Turbulence, J. Atmos. Sci 28(1971), p. 1087. J. Cho and E. Lindborg, Horizontal velocity structure functions in the upper troposphere and lower stratosphere i: Observations, J. Geophys. Res. 106(2001), pp. 10223-10232. E. Dewan, Saturated-cascade similtude theory of gravity wave sepctra, J. Geophys. Res. 102(1997), pp. 29799-29817. R. Fjortoft, On the changes in the spectral distribution of kinetic energy in two dimensional, nondivergent flow, Tellus 7(1953), pp. 168-176. D. Fritts, T. Tsuda, T. Sato, S. Fukao and S. Kato, Observational evidence of a saturated gravity wave spectrum in the troposphere and lower stratosphere, Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 45(1988), p. 1741. K.S. Gage and G.D. Nastrom, Theoretical Interpretation of atmospheric wavenumber spectra of wind and temperature observed by commercial aircraft during GASP, J. of the Atmos. Sci. 43(1986), pp. 729-740. C.S. Gardner, C.A. Hostetler and S.J. Franke, Gravity Wave models for the horizontal wave number spectra of atmospheric velocity and density flucutations, J. Geophys. Res. 98(1993), pp. 1035-1049. C.A. Hostetler and C.S. Gardner, Observations of horizontal and vertical wave number spectra of gravity wave motions in the stratosphere and mesosphere ove rthe mid-Pacific, J. Geophys. Res. 99(1994), pp. 1283-1302. A.N. Kolmogorov, Local structure of turbulence in an incompressible liquid for very large Reynolds numbers. (English translation: Proc. Roy. Soc. A434, 9-17, 1991), Proc. Acad. Sci. URSS., Geochem. Sect. 30(1941), pp. 299-303. R.H. Kraichnan, Inertial ranges in two-dimensional turbulence, Physics of Fluids 10(1967), pp. 1417-1423. A. Lazarev, D. Schertzer, S. Lovejoy and Y. Chigirinskaya, Unified multifractal atmospheric dynamics tested in the tropics: part II, vertical scaling and Generalized Scale Invariance, Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics 1(1994), pp. 115-123. M. Lilley, S. Lovejoy, K. Strawbridge and D. Schertzer, 23/9 dimensional anisotropic scaling of passive admixtures using lidar aerosol data, Phys. Rev. E 70(2004), pp. 036307-036301-036307. S. Lovejoy et al., Atmospheric complexity or scale by scale simplicity? , Geophys. Resear. Lett. 36(2009a), pp. L01801, doi:01810.01029/02008GL035863. S. Lovejoy, A.F. Tuck, S.J. Hovde and D. Schertzer, Is isotropic turbulence relevant in the atmosphere?, Geophys. Res. Lett. L14802, doi:10.1029/2007GL029359.(2007). S. Lovejoy, A.F. Tuck, D. Schertzer and S.J. Hovde, Reinterpreting aircraft measurements in anisotropic scaling turbulence, Atmos. Chem. Phys. Discuss., 9(2009b), pp. 3871-3920. G.D. Nastrom and K.S. Gage, A first look at wave number spectra from GASP data, Tellus 35(1983), p. 383. G.D. Nastrom and K.S. Gage, A climatology of atmospheric wavenumber spectra of wind and temperature by commercial aircraft, J. Atmos. Sci. 42(1985), pp. 950-960. D. Schertzer and S. Lovejoy, The dimension and intermittency of atmospheric dynamics. In: B. Launder, Editor, Turbulent Shear Flow 4, Springer-Verlag (1985), pp. 7-33. D. Schertzer and S. Lovejoy, Physical modeling and Analysis of Rain and Clouds by Anisotropic Scaling of Multiplicative Processes, Journal of Geophysical Research 92(1987), pp. 9693-9714. J. Stolle, S. Lovejoy and D. Schertzer, The stochastic cascade structure of deterministic numerical models of the atmosphere, Nonlin. Proc. in Geophys. 16(2009), pp. 1-15. G.I. Taylor, Statistical theory of turbulence, Proc. Roy. Soc. I-IV, A151(1935), pp. 421-478. T. Tsuda et al., MST radar observations of a saturated gravity wave spectrum, Journal of the Atmospheric Sciences 46(1989), p. 2440. T.E. Van Zandt, A universal spectrum of buoyancy waves in the atmosphere, Geophysical Research Letter 9(1982), pp. 575-578.

Role of Large Eddies in the Breakdown of the Reynolds Analogy in the Unstable Atmospheric Surface Layer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mccoll, K. A.; Van Heerwaarden, C.; Katul, G. G.; Gentine, P.; Entekhabi, D.

2016-12-01

While the break-down in similarity between turbulent transport of heat and momentum (or Reynolds analogy) is not disputed in the atmospheric surface layer (ASL) under unstably stratified conditions, the causes of this breakdown remain the subject of some debate. One reason for the break-down is hypothesized to be due to a change in the topology of the coherent structures and how they differently transport heat and momentum. As instability increases, coherent structures that are confined to the near-wall region transition to thermal plumes, spanning the entire boundary layer depth. Monin-Obukhov Similarity Theory (MOST), which hypothesizes that only local length scales play a role in ASL turbulent transport, implicitly assumes that thermal plumes and other large-scale structures are inactive (i.e., they do not contribute to turbulent transport despite their large energy content). Widely adopted mixing-length models for the ASL also rest on this assumption. The difficulty of characterizing low-wavenumber turbulent motions with field observations motivates the use of high-resolution Direct Numerical Simulations (DNS) that are free from sub-grid scale parameterizations and ad-hoc assumptions near the boundary. Despite the low Reynolds number, mild stratification and idealized geometry, DNS-estimated MOST functions are consistent with field experiments as are key low-frequency features of the vertical velocity variance and buoyancy spectra. Parsimonious spectral models for MOST stability correction functions for momentum (φm) and heat (φh) are derived based on idealized vertical velocity variance and buoyancy spectra fit to the corresponding DNS spectra. For φm, a spectral model requiring a local length scale (evolving with local stability conditions) that matches DNS and field observations is derived. In contrast, for φh, the aforementioned model is substantially biased unless contributions from larger length scales are also included. These results suggest that ASL heat transport cannot be precisely MO-similar, and that the breakdown of the Reynolds analogy is at least partially caused by the influence of large eddies on turbulent heat transport.

Atmospheric turbulence chamber for optical transmission experiment Characterization by thermal method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gamo, H.; Majumdar, A. K.

1978-01-01

Consideration is given to an atmospheric turbulence chamber designed for optical wave propagation experiments. The chamber consists of ten small electric heater/blowers with an aluminum foil screen and three screens of 2-mm aluminum wire meshes. Calculations are made of the temperature structure constant squared on the basis of temperature structure function measurements derived from a differential microthermocouple system. Values are presented for the refractive-index structure constant squared. The average wind velocity and temperature are found to be, respectively, 0.41 m/sec and 53 C. The inner and outer scales of turbulence are 5.0 mm and 6.5 cm. It is shown that the measured temperature structure function and the power spectrum of temperature fluctuations satisfy, respectively, the 2/3 and -5/3 power similarity laws in the inertial subrange. Possible chamber improvements are discussed.

Cancellation exponent and multifractal structure in two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamics: direct numerical simulations and Lagrangian averaged modeling.

PubMed

Graham, Jonathan Pietarila; Mininni, Pablo D; Pouquet, Annick

2005-10-01

We present direct numerical simulations and Lagrangian averaged (also known as alpha model) simulations of forced and free decaying magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in two dimensions. The statistics of sign cancellations of the current at small scales is studied using both the cancellation exponent and the fractal dimension of the structures. The alpha model is found to have the same scaling behavior between positive and negative contributions as the direct numerical simulations. The alpha model is also able to reproduce the time evolution of these quantities in free decaying turbulence. At large Reynolds numbers, an independence of the cancellation exponent with the Reynolds numbers is observed.

MFGA-IDT2 workshop: Astrophysical and geophysical fluid mechanics: the impact of data on turbulence theories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schertzer, D.; Falgarone, E.

1 Facts about the Workshop This workshop was convened on November 13-15 1995 by E. Falgarone and D. Schertzer within the framework of the Groupe de Recherche Mecanique des Fluides Geophysiques et Astrophysiques (GdR MFGA, Research Group of Geophysical and Astrophysical Fluid Mechanics) of Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS, (French) National Center for Scientific Research). This Research Group is chaired by A. Babiano and the meeting was held at Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris, by courtesy of its Director E. Guyon. More than sixty attendees participated to this workshop, they came from a large number of institutions and countries from Europe, Canada and USA. There were twenty-five oral presentations as well as a dozen posters. A copy of the corresponding book of abstracts can be requested to the conveners. The theme of this meeting is somewhat related to the series of Nonlinear Variability in Geophysics conferences (NVAG1, Montreal, Aug. 1986; NVAG2, Paris, June 1988; NVAG3, Cargese (Corsica), September, 1993), as well as seven consecutive annual sessions at EGS general assemblies and two consecutive spring AGU meeting sessions devoted to similar topics. One may note that NVAG3 was a joint American Geophysical Union Chapman and European Geophysical Society Richardson Memorial conference, the first topical conference jointly sponsored by the two organizations. The corresponding proceedings were published in a special NPG issue (Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics 1, 2/3, 1994). In comparison with these previous meetings, MFGA-IDT2 is at the same time specialized to fluid turbulence and its intermittency, and an extension to the fields of astrophysics. Let us add that Nonlinear Processes in Geophysics was readily chosen as the appropriate journal for publication of these proceedings since this journal was founded in order to develop interdisciplinary fundamental research and corresponding innovative nonlinear methodologies in Geophysics. It had an appropriate editorial structure, in particular a large number of editors covering a wide range of methodologies, expertises and schools. At least two of its sections (Scaling and Multifractals, Turbulence and Diffusion) were directly related to the topics of the workshop, in any case contributors were invited to choose their editor freely. 2 Goals of the Workshop The objective of this meeting was to enhance the confrontation between turbulence theories and empirical data from geophysics and astrophysics fluids with very high Reynolds numbers. The importance of these data seems to have often been underestimated for the evaluation of theories of fully developed turbulence, presumably due to the fact that turbulence does not appear as pure as in laboratory experiments. However, they have the great advantage of giving access not only to very high Reynolds numbers (e.g. 1012 for atmospheric data), but also to very large data sets. It was intended to: (i) provide an overview of the diversity of potentially available data, as well as the necessary theoretical and statistical developments for a better use of these data (e.g. treatment of anisotropy, role of processes which induce other nonlinearities such as thermal instability, effect of magnetic field and compressibility ... ), (ii) evaluate the means of discriminating between different theories (e.g. multifractal intermittency models) or to better appreciate the relevance of different notions (e.g. Self-Organized Criticality) or phenomenology (e.g. filaments, structures), (iii) emphasise the different obstacles, such as the ubiquity of catastrophic events, which could be overcome in the various concerned disciplines, thanks to theoretical advances achieved. 3 Outlines of the Workshop During the two days of the workshop, the series of presentations covered many manifestations of turbulence in geophysics, including: oceans, troposphere, stratosphere, very high atmosphere, solar wind, giant planets, interstellar clouds... up to the very large scale of the Universe. The presentations and the round table at the end of the workshop pointed out the following: - the necessity of this type of confrontation which makes intervene numerical simulations, laboratory experiments, phenomenology as well as a very large diversity of geophysical and astrophysical data, - presumably a relative need for new geophysical data, whereas there have been recent astrophysical experiments which yield interesting data and exciting questions; - the need to develop a closer intercomparison between various intermittency models (in particular Log-Poisson /Log Levy models). Two main questions were underlined, in particular during the round table: - the behaviour of the extremes of intermittency, in particular the question of divergence or convergence of the highest statistical moments (equivalently, do the probability distributions have algebraic or more rapid falloffs?); - the extension of scaling ranges; in other words do we need to divide geophysics and astrophysics in many small (nearly) isotropic subranges or is it sufficient to use anisotropic scaling notions over wider ranges? 4 The contributions in this special issue Recalling that some of the most useful insights into the nature of turbulence in fluids have come from observations of geophysical flows, Van Atta gives a review of the impacts of geophysical turbulence data into theories. His paper starts from Taylor's inference of the nearly isotropy of atmospheric turbulence and the corresponding elegant theoretical developments by von Karman of the theory of isotropic turbulence, up to underline the fact that the observed extremely large intermittency in geophysical turbulence also raised new fundamental questions for turbulence theory. The paper discusses the potential contribution to theoretical development from the available or currently being made geophysical turbulence measurements, as well as from some recent laboratory measurements and direct numerical simulations of stably stratified turbulent shear flows. Seuront et al. consider scaling and multiscaling properties of scalar fields (temperature and phytoplankton concentration) advected by oceanic turbulence in both Eulerian and Lagrangian frameworks. Despite the apparent complexity linked to a multifractal background, temperature and fluorescence (i.e. phytoplankton biomass surrogate) fields are expressed over a wide range of scale by only three universal multifractal parameters, H, α and C_l. On scales smaller than the characteristic scale of the ship, sampling is rather Eulerian. On larger scales, the drifting platform being advected by turbulent motions, sampling may be rather considered as Lagrangian. Observed Eulerian and Lagrangian universal multifractal properties of the physical and biological fields are discussed. Whereas theoretical models provide different scaling laws for fluid and MHD turbulent flows, no attempt has been done up to now to experimentally support evidence for these differences. Carbone et al. use measurements from the solar wind turbulence and from turbulence in ordinary fluid flows, in order to assess these differences. They show that the so-called Extended Self-Similarity (ESS) is evident in the solar wind turbulence up to a certain scale. Furthermore, up to a given order of the velocity structure functions, the scaling laws of MHD and fluids flows axe experimentally indistinguishable. However, differences can be observed for higher orders and the authors speculate on their origin. Dudok de Wit and Krasnosel'skikh present analysis of strong plasma turbulence in the vicinity of the Earth's bow shock with the help of magnetometer data from the AMPTE UKS satellite. They demonstrate that there is a departure from Gaussianity which could be a signature of multifractality. However, they point out that the complexity of plasma turbulence precludes a more quantitative understanding. Finally, the authors emphasise the fact that the duration of records prevents to obtain any reliable estimate of structure functions beyond the fourth order. Sylos Labini and Pietronero discuss the problem of galaxy correlations. They conclude from all the recently available three dimensional catalogues that the distribution of galaxies and clusters is fractal with dimension D ~ 2 up to the present observational limits without any tendency towards homogenization. This result is discussed in contrast to angular data analysis. Furthermore, they point out that the galaxy-cluster mismatch disappears when considering a multifractal distribution of matter. They emphasise that a new picture emerges which changes the standard ideas about the properties of the universe and requires a corresponding change in the related theoretical concepts. Chilla et al. investigate with the help of a laboratory experiment the possible influence of the presence of a large scale structure on the intermittency of small scale structures. They study a flow between coaxial co-rotating disks generating a strong axial vortex over a turbulent background. They show that the cascade process is preserved although strongly modified and they discuss the relevance of parameters developed for the description of intermittency in homogeneous turbulence to evaluate this modification.

Chaotic and regular instantons in helical shell models of turbulence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Pietro, Massimo; Mailybaev, Alexei A.; Biferale, Luca

2017-03-01

Shell models of turbulence have a finite-time blowup in the inviscid limit, i.e., the enstrophy diverges while the single-shell velocities stay finite. The signature of this blowup is represented by self-similar instantonic structures traveling coherently through the inertial range. These solutions might influence the energy transfer and the anomalous scaling properties empirically observed for the forced and viscous models. In this paper we present a study of the instantonic solutions for a set of four shell models of turbulence based on the exact decomposition of the Navier-Stokes equations in helical eigenstates. We find that depending on the helical structure of each model, instantons are chaotic or regular. Some instantonic solutions tend to recover mirror symmetry for scales small enough. Models that have anomalous scaling develop regular nonchaotic instantons. Conversely, models that have nonanomalous scaling in the stationary regime are those that have chaotic instantons. The direction of the energy carried by each single instanton tends to coincide with the direction of the energy cascade in the stationary regime. Finally, we find that whenever the small-scale stationary statistics is intermittent, the instanton is less steep than the dimensional Kolmogorov scaling, independently of whether or not it is chaotic. Our findings further support the idea that instantons might be crucial to describe some aspects of the multiscale anomalous statistics of shell models.

Turbulent pipe flows subjected to temporal decelerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Wongwan; Lee, Jae Hwa

2016-11-01

Direct numerical simulations of temporally decelerating turbulent pipe flows were performed to examine effects of temporal decelerations on turbulence. The simulations were started with a fully developed turbulent pipe flow at a Reynolds number, ReD =24380, based on the pipe radius (R) and the laminar centerline velocity (Uc 0). Three different temporal decelerations were imposed to the initial flow with f= | d Ub / dt | =0.00127, 0.00625 and 0.025, where Ub is the bulk mean velocity. Comparison of Reynolds stresses and turbulent production terms with those for steady flow at a similar Reynolds number showed that turbulence is highly intensified with increasing f due to delay effects. Furthermore, inspection of the Reynolds shear stress profiles showed that strong second- and fourth-quadrant Reynolds shear stresses are greatly increased, while first- and third-quadrant components are also increased. Decomposition of streamwise Reynolds normal stress with streamwise cutoff wavelength (λx) 1 R revealed that the turbulence delay is dominantly originated from delay of strong large-scale turbulent structures in the outer layer, although small-scale motions throughout the wall layer adjusted more rapidly to the temporal decelerations. This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2014R1A1A2057031).

On the large eddy simulation of turbulent flows in complex geometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ghosal, Sandip

1993-01-01

Application of the method of Large Eddy Simulation (LES) to a turbulent flow consists of three separate steps. First, a filtering operation is performed on the Navier-Stokes equations to remove the small spatial scales. The resulting equations that describe the space time evolution of the 'large eddies' contain the subgrid-scale (sgs) stress tensor that describes the effect of the unresolved small scales on the resolved scales. The second step is the replacement of the sgs stress tensor by some expression involving the large scales - this is the problem of 'subgrid-scale modeling'. The final step is the numerical simulation of the resulting 'closed' equations for the large scale fields on a grid small enough to resolve the smallest of the large eddies, but still much larger than the fine scale structures at the Kolmogorov length. In dividing a turbulent flow field into 'large' and 'small' eddies, one presumes that a cut-off length delta can be sensibly chosen such that all fluctuations on a scale larger than delta are 'large eddies' and the remainder constitute the 'small scale' fluctuations. Typically, delta would be a length scale characterizing the smallest structures of interest in the flow. In an inhomogeneous flow, the 'sensible choice' for delta may vary significantly over the flow domain. For example, in a wall bounded turbulent flow, most statistical averages of interest vary much more rapidly with position near the wall than far away from it. Further, there are dynamically important organized structures near the wall on a scale much smaller than the boundary layer thickness. Therefore, the minimum size of eddies that need to be resolved is smaller near the wall. In general, for the LES of inhomogeneous flows, the width of the filtering kernel delta must be considered to be a function of position. If a filtering operation with a nonuniform filter width is performed on the Navier-Stokes equations, one does not in general get the standard large eddy equations. The complication is caused by the fact that a filtering operation with a nonuniform filter width in general does not commute with the operation of differentiation. This is one of the issues that we have looked at in detail as it is basic to any attempt at applying LES to complex geometry flows. Our principal findings are summarized.

Onset of meso-scale turbulence in active nematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doostmohammadi, Amin; Shendruk, Tyler N.; Thijssen, Kristian; Yeomans, Julia M.

2017-05-01

Meso-scale turbulence is an innate phenomenon, distinct from inertial turbulence, that spontaneously occurs at low Reynolds number in fluidized biological systems. This spatiotemporal disordered flow radically changes nutrient and molecular transport in living fluids and can strongly affect the collective behaviour in prominent biological processes, including biofilm formation, morphogenesis and cancer invasion. Despite its crucial role in such physiological processes, understanding meso-scale turbulence and any relation to classical inertial turbulence remains obscure. Here we show how the motion of active matter along a micro-channel transitions to meso-scale turbulence through the evolution of locally disordered patches (active puffs) from an ordered vortex-lattice flow state. We demonstrate that the stationary critical exponents of this transition to meso-scale turbulence in a channel coincide with the directed percolation universality class. This finding bridges our understanding of the onset of low-Reynolds-number meso-scale turbulence and traditional scale-invariant turbulence in confinement.

Dissipative Effects on Inertial-Range Statistics at High Reynolds Numbers.

PubMed

Sinhuber, Michael; Bewley, Gregory P; Bodenschatz, Eberhard

2017-09-29

Using the unique capabilities of the Variable Density Turbulence Tunnel at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Göttingen, we report experimental measurements in classical grid turbulence that uncover oscillations of the velocity structure functions in the inertial range. This was made possible by measuring extremely long time series of up to 10^{10} samples of the turbulent fluctuating velocity, which corresponds to O(10^{7}) integral length scales. The measurements were conducted in a well-controlled environment at a wide range of high Reynolds numbers from R_{λ}=110 up to R_{λ}=1600, using both traditional hot-wire probes as well as the nanoscale thermal anemometry probe developed at Princeton University. An implication of the observed oscillations is that dissipation influences the inertial-range statistics of turbulent flows at scales significantly larger than predicted by current models and theories.

Improved turbulence models based on large eddy simulation of homogeneous, incompressible turbulent flows

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bardino, J.; Ferziger, J. H.; Reynolds, W. C.

1983-01-01

The physical bases of large eddy simulation and subgrid modeling are studied. A subgrid scale similarity model is developed that can account for system rotation. Large eddy simulations of homogeneous shear flows with system rotation were carried out. Apparently contradictory experimental results were explained. The main effect of rotation is to increase the transverse length scales in the rotation direction, and thereby decrease the rates of dissipation. Experimental results are shown to be affected by conditions at the turbulence producing grid, which make the initial states a function of the rotation rate. A two equation model is proposed that accounts for effects of rotation and shows good agreement with experimental results. In addition, a Reynolds stress model is developed that represents the turbulence structure of homogeneous shear flows very well and can account also for the effects of system rotation.

Anisotropic power spectrum of refractive-index fluctuation in hypersonic turbulence.

PubMed

Li, Jiangting; Yang, Shaofei; Guo, Lixin; Cheng, Mingjian

2016-11-10

An anisotropic power spectrum of the refractive-index fluctuation in hypersonic turbulence was obtained by processing the experimental image of the hypersonic plasma sheath and transforming the generalized anisotropic von Kármán spectrum. The power spectrum suggested here can provide as good a fit to measured spectrum data for hypersonic turbulence as that recorded from the nano-planar laser scattering image. Based on the newfound anisotropic hypersonic turbulence power spectrum, Rytov approximation was employed to establish the wave structure function and the spatial coherence radius model of electromagnetic beam propagation in hypersonic turbulence. Enhancing the anisotropy characteristics of the hypersonic turbulence led to a significant improvement in the propagation performance of electromagnetic beams in hypersonic plasma sheath. The influence of hypersonic turbulence on electromagnetic beams increases with the increase of variance of the refractive-index fluctuation and the decrease of turbulence outer scale and anisotropy parameters. The spatial coherence radius was much smaller than that in atmospheric turbulence. These results are fundamental to understanding electromagnetic wave propagation in hypersonic turbulence.

Noise produced by the large-scale transition region structure of turbulent jets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hardin, J. C.

1974-01-01

The 'orderly' structure which has been observed recently by numerous researchers within the transition region of subsonic turbulent jets is analyzed to reveal its noise-producing potential. For the case of a circular jet, this structure is modeled as a train of toroidal vortex rings which are formed near the jet exit and propagate downstream. The noise produced by the model is evaluated from a reformulation of Lighthill's expression for the far-field acoustic density which emphasizes the importance of the vorticity within the turbulent flow field. It is shown that the noise production occurs mainly close to the jet exit and depends primarily upon temporal changes in the toroidal radii. These results suggest a new approach to noise suppression which has been substantiated experimentally.

Small-scale plasma turbulence and intermittency in the high latitude F region based on the ICI-2 sounding rocket experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spicher, A.; Miloch, W.; Moen, J. I.; Clausen, L. B. N.

2015-12-01

Small-scale plasma irregularities and turbulence are common phenomena in the F layer of the ionosphere, both in the equatorial and polar regions. A common approach in analyzing data from experiments on space and ionospheric plasma irregularities are power spectra. Power spectra give no information about the phases of the waveforms, and thus do not allow to determine whether some of the phases are correlated or whether they exhibit a random character. The former case would imply the presence of nonlinear wave-wave interactions, while the latter suggests a more turbulent-like process. Discerning between these mechanisms is crucial for understanding high latitude plasma irregularities and can be addressed with bispectral analysis and higher order statistics. In this study, we use higher order spectra and statistics to analyze electron density data observed with the ICI-2 sounding rocket experiment at a meter-scale resolution. The main objective of ICI-2 was to investigate plasma irregularities in the cusp in the F layer ionosphere. We study in detail two regions intersected during the rocket flight and which are characterized by large density fluctuations: a trailing edge of a cold polar cap patch, and a density enhancement subject to cusp auroral particle precipitation. While these two regions exhibit similar power spectra, our analysis reveals that their internal structure is different. The structures on the edge of the polar cap patch are characterized by significant coherent mode coupling and intermittency, while the plasma enhancement associated with precipitation exhibits stronger random characteristics. This indicates that particle precipitation may play a fundamental role in ionospheric plasma structuring by creating turbulent-like structures.

Turbulent kinetic energy of the ocean winds over the Kuroshio Extension from QuikSCAT winds (1999-2009)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Kai; Dong, Changming; King, Gregory P.

2017-06-01

We investigate mesoscale turbulence (10-1000 km) in the ocean winds over the Kuroshio Extension (28°N-40°N, 140°E-180°E) using the QuikSCAT data set (November 1999 to October 2009). We calculate the second (Djj) and third-order structure functions (Djjj) and the spatial variance (Vj) as a function of scale r (j=L,T denotes, respectively, the longitudinal (divergent) and transverse (vortical) component). The most interesting results of the analysis follow. Although both Vj>(r>) and Djj>(r>) measure the turbulent kinetic energy (TKE), we find that Vj>(r>) is the more robust measure. The spatial variance density (dVj/dr) has a broad peak near 450 km (close to the midlatitude Rossby radius of deformation). On interannual time scales, TKE correlates well with the El Niño 3.4 index. According to turbulence theory, the kinetic energy cascades downscale (upscale) if DLLL>(r>) (also skewness SL=DLLL/DLL3/2) is negative (positive). Our results for the Kuroshio Extension are consistent with a downscale cascade (indicating convergence dominates). Furthermore, classical turbulence theory predicts that SL=-0.3 and independent of r; however, we find SL varies strongly with r, from -4 at small scales to -0.3 at large scales. This nonclassical behavior implies strong-scale interaction, which we attribute to the rapid, and sometimes explosive, growth of storms in the region through baroclinic instability. Finally, we find that ST (a measure of cyclonic/anticyclonic asymmetry) is positive (cyclonic) and also varies strongly with r, from 4 at small scales to 0.5 at large scales. New turbulence models are needed to explain these results, and that will benefit Weather Prediction and climate modeling.