scholarly journals Tropical background and wave spectra: contribution of wave-wave interactions in a moderately nonlinear turbulent flow

Author(s):  
Chaim I Garfinkel ◽  
Ofer Shamir ◽  
Itzhak Fouxon ◽  
Nathan Paldor

AbstractVariability in the tropical atmosphere is concentrated at wavenumber-frequency combinations where linear theory indicates wave-modes can freely propagate, but with substantial power in between. This study demonstrates that such a power spectrum can arise from small scale convection triggering large scale waves via wave-wave interactions in a moderately turbulent fluid. Two key pieces of evidence are provided for this interpretation of tropical dynamics using a nonlinear rotating shallow water model: a parameter sweep experiment in which the amplitude of an external forcing is gradually ramped up, and also an external forcing in which only symmetric or only anti-symmetric modes are forced. These experiments do not support a commonly accepted mechanism involving the forcing projecting directly onto the wave-modes with a strong response, yet still simulate a power spectrum resembling that observed, though the linear projection mechanism could still complement the mechanism proposed here in observations. Interpreting the observed tropical power spectrum using turbulence offers a simple explanation as to why power should be concentrated at the theoretical wave-modes, and also provides a solid footing for the common assumption that the back-ground spectrum is red, even as it clarifies why there is no expectation for a turbulent cascade with a specific, theoretically derived slope such as -5/3. However it does explain why the cascade should be towards lower wavenumbers, that is an inverse energy cascade, similar to the midlatitudes even as compressible wave-modes are important for tropical dynamics.

Author(s):  
Jonathan Skipp ◽  
Sergey Nazarenko

Abstract We study the thermodynamic equilibrium spectra of the Charney- Hasegawa-Mima (CHM) equation in its weakly nonlinear limit. In this limit, the equation has three adiabatic invariants, in contrast to the two invariants of the 2D Euler or Gross-Pitaevskii equations, which are examples for comparison. We explore how the third invariant considerably enriches the variety of equilibrium spectra that the CHM system can access. In particular we characterise the singular limits of these spectra in which condensates occur, i.e. a single Fourier mode (or pair of modes) accumulate(s) a macroscopic fraction of the total invariants. We show that these equilibrium condensates provide a simple explanation for the characteristic structures observed in CHM systems of finite size: highly anisotropic zonal flows, large-scale isotropic vortices, and vortices at small scale. We show how these condensates are associated with combinations of negative thermodynamic potentials (e.g. temperature).


2001 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. M. McClure-Griffiths ◽  
John M. Dickey ◽  
B. M. Gaensler ◽  
A. J. Green ◽  
R. F. Haynes ◽  
...  

AbstractWe present preliminary results from the Southern Galactic Plane Survey (SGPS) Test Region and Parkes data. As part of the pilot project for the Southern Galactic Plane Survey, observations of a Test Region (325·5° ≤l ≤ 333·5°; −0·5° ≤ b ≤ 3·5°) were completed in December 1998. Single-dish observations of the full survey region (253° ≤ l ≤ 358 ° |b| ≤ 1°) with the Parkes Radio Telescope were completed in March 2000. We present a sample of SGPS H I data, with particular attention to the smallest-and largest-scale structures seen in absorption and emission, respectively. On the large scale, we detect many prominent H I shells. On the small scale, we note extremely compact, cold clouds seen in H I self-absorption. We explore how these two classes of objects probe opposite ends of the H I spatial power spectrum.


2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (9) ◽  
pp. 3119-3137
Author(s):  
Marcin J. Kurowski ◽  
Wojciech W. Grabowski ◽  
Kay Suselj ◽  
João Teixeira

Abstract Idealized large-eddy simulation (LES) is a basic tool for studying three-dimensional turbulence in the planetary boundary layer. LES is capable of providing benchmark solutions for parameterization development efforts. However, real small-scale atmospheric flows develop in heterogeneous and transient environments with locally varying vertical motions inherent to open multiscale interactive dynamical systems. These variations are often too subtle to detect them by state-of-the-art remote and in situ measurements, and are typically excluded from idealized simulations. The present study addresses the impact of weak [i.e., O(10−6) s−1] short-lived low-level large-scale convergence/divergence perturbations on continental shallow convection. The results show a strong response of shallow nonprecipitating convection to the applied weak large-scale dynamical forcing. Evolutions of CAPE, mean liquid water path, and cloud-top heights are significantly affected by the imposed convergence/divergence. In contrast, evolving cloud-base properties, such as the area coverage and mass flux, are only weakly affected. To contrast those impacts with microphysical sensitivity, the baseline simulations are perturbed assuming different observationally based cloud droplet number concentrations and thus different rainfall. For the tested range of microphysical perturbations, the imposed convergence/divergence provides significantly larger impact than changes in the cloud microphysics. Simulation results presented here provide a stringent test for convection parameterizations, especially important for large-scale models progressing toward resolving some nonhydrostatic effects.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vita Ayoub ◽  
Carole Delenne ◽  
Patrick Matgen ◽  
Pascal Finaud-Guyot ◽  
Renaud Hostache

<p><span>In hydrodynamic modelling, the mesh resolution has a strong impact on run time and result accuracy. Coarser meshes allow faster simulations but often at the cost of accuracy. Conversely, finer meshes offer a better description of complex geometries but require much longer computational time, which makes their use at a large scale challenging. In this context, we aim to assess the potential of a two-dimensional shallow water model with depth-dependant porosity (SW2D-DDP) for flood simulations at a large scale. This modelling approach relies on nesting a sub-grid mesh containing high-resolution topographic and bathymetric data within each computational cell via a so-called depth-dependant storage porosity. It enables therefore faster simulations on rather coarse grids while preserving small-scale topography information. The July 2007 flood event in the Severn River basin (UK) is used as a test case, for which hydrometric measurements and spatial data are available for evaluation. A sensitivity analysis is carried out to investigate the porosity influence on the model performance in comparison with other classical parameters such as boundary conditions.</span></p>


2015 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
pp. 45-49 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ahlers

Abstract. Various experiments show that the arrival directions of multi-TeV cosmic rays show significant anisotropies at small angular scales. It was recently argued that this small scale structure may arise naturally by cosmic ray diffusion in a large-scale cosmic ray gradient in combination with deflections in local turbulent magnetic fields. We show via analytical and numerical methods that the non-trivial power spectrum in this setup is a direct consequence of Liouville's theorem and can be related to properties of relative diffusion.


Author(s):  
Vladimir Zeitlin

The book explains the key notions and fundamental processes in the dynamics of the fluid envelopes of the Earth (transposable to other planets), and methods of their analysis, from the unifying viewpoint of rotating shallow-water model (RSW). The model, in its one- or two-layer versions, plays a distinguished role in geophysical fluid dynamics, having been used for around a century for conceptual understanding of various phenomena, for elaboration of approaches and methods, to be applied later in more complete models, for development and testing of numerical codes and schemes of data assimilations, and many other purposes. Principles of modelling of large-scale atmospheric and oceanic flows, and corresponding approximations, are explained and it is shown how single- and multi-layer versions of RSW arise from the primitive equations by vertical averaging, and how further time-averaging produces celebrated quasi-geostrophic reductions of the model. Key concepts of geophysical fluid dynamics are exposed and interpreted in RSW terms, and fundamentals of vortex and wave dynamics are explained in Part 1 of the book, which is supplied with exercises and can be used as a textbook. Solutions of the problems are available at Editorial Office by request. In-depth treatment of dynamical processes, with special accent on the primordial process of geostrophic adjustment, on instabilities in geophysical flows, vortex and wave turbulence and on nonlinear wave interactions follows in Part 2. Recently arisen new approaches in, and applications of RSW, including moist-convective processes constitute Part 3.


2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (10) ◽  
pp. 2383-2395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jody M. Klymak

AbstractDrag and turbulence in steady stratified flows over “abyssal hills” have been parameterized using linear theory and rates of energy cascade due to wave–wave interactions. Linear theory has no drag or energy loss due to large-scale bathymetry because waves with intrinsic frequency less than the Coriolis frequency are evanescent. Numerical work has tested the theory by high passing the topography and estimating the radiation and turbulence. Adding larger-scale bathymetry that would generate evanescent internal waves generates nonlinear and turbulent flow, driving a dissipation approximately twice that of the radiating waves for the topographic spectrum chosen. This drag is linear in the forcing velocity, in contrast to atmospheric parameterizations that have quadratic drag. Simulations containing both small- and large-scale bathymetry have more dissipation than just adding the large- and small-scale dissipations together, so the scales couple. The large-scale turbulence is localized, generally in the lee of large obstacles. Medium-scale regional models partially resolve the “nonpropagating” wavenumbers, leading to the question of whether they need the large-scale energy loss to be parameterized. Varying the resolution of the simulations indicates that if the ratio of gridcell height to width is less than the root-mean-square topographic slope, then the dissipation is overestimated in coarse models (by up to 25%); conversely, it can be underestimated by up to a factor of 2 if the ratio is greater. Most regional simulations are likely in the second regime and should have extra drag added to represent the large-scale bathymetry, and the deficit is at least as large as that parameterized for abyssal hills.


2020 ◽  
Vol 101 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian B. Muñoz ◽  
Cora Dvorkin ◽  
Francis-Yan Cyr-Racine

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
B. Casaday ◽  
J. Crockett

Using ray theory, we explore the effect an envelope function has on high-frequency, small-scale internal wave propagation through a low-frequency, large-scale inertia wave. Two principal interactions, internal waves propagating through an infinite inertia wavetrain and through an enveloped inertia wave, are investigated. For the first interaction, the total frequency of the high-frequency wave is conserved but is not for the latter. This deviance is measured and results of waves propagating in the same direction show the interaction with an inertia wave envelope results in a higher probability of reaching that Jones' critical level and a reduced probability of turning points, which is a better approximation of outcomes experienced by expected real atmospheric interactions. In addition, an increase in wave action density and wave steepness is observed, relative to an interaction with an infinite wavetrain, possibly leading to enhanced wave breaking.


2020 ◽  
Vol 494 (3) ◽  
pp. 3131-3140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenji Kubota ◽  
Akio K Inoue ◽  
Kenji Hasegawa ◽  
Keitaro Takahashi

ABSTRACT Detecting H i 21-cm line in the intergalactic medium during the epoch of reionization suffers from foreground contamination such as Galactic synchrotron and extragalactic radio sources. Cross-correlation between the 21-cm line and Lyman-α emitter (LAE) galaxies is a powerful tool to identify the 21-cm signal since the 21-cm line emission has correlation with LAEs, while the LAEs are statistically independent of the foregrounds. So far, the detectability of 21-cm-LAE cross-power spectrum has been investigated with simple LAE models where the observed Lyα luminosity is proportional to the dark matter halo mass. However, the previous models were inconsistent with the latest observational data of LAEs obtained with Subaru/Hyper Suprime-Cam (HSC). Here, we revisit the detectability of 21-cm-LAE cross-power spectrum adopting a state-of-the-art LAE model consistent with all Subaru/HSC observations such as the Lyα luminosity function, LAE angular autocorrelation, and the LAE fractions in the continuum selected galaxies. We find that resultant cross-power spectrum with the updated LAE model is reduced at small scales ($k\sim 1\ \rm Mpc^{-1}$) compared to the simple models, while the amplitudes at large scales ($k \lesssim 0.2 \ \rm Mpc^{-1}$) are not affected so much. We conclude that the large-scale signal would be detectable with Square Kilometre Array (SKA) and HSC LAE cross-correlation but detecting the small-scale signal would require an extended HSC LAE survey with an area of $\sim 75\ \rm deg^2$ or 3000 h observation time of 21-cm line with SKA.


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