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At least 19 records

A rapid-pressure correlation representation consistent with the Taylor-Proudman theorem materially-frame-indifferent in the 2D limit

A nonlinear representation for the rapid-pressure correlation appearing in the Reynolds stress equations, consistent with the Taylor-Proudman theorem, is presented. The representation insures that the modeled second-order equations are frame-invariant with respect to rotation when the flow is two-dimensional in planes perpendicular to the axis of rotation. The representation satisfies realizability in a new way: a special ansatz is used to obtain analytically, the values of coefficients valid away from the realizability limit: the model coefficients are functions of the state of the turbulence that are valid for all states of the mechanical turbulence attaining their constant limiting values only when the limit state is achieved. Utilization of all the mathematical constraints are not enough to specify all the coefficients in the model. The unspecified coefficients appear as free parameters which are used to insure that the representation is asymptotically consistent with the known equilibrium states of a homogeneous sheared turbulence. This is done by insuring that the modeled evolution equations have the same fixed points as those obtained from computer and laboratory experiments for the homogeneous shear. Results of computations of the homogeneous shear, with and without rotation, and with stabilizing and destabilizing curvature, are shown. Results are consistently better, in a wide class of flows which the model not been calibrated, than those obtained with other nonlinear models.

Ristorcelli, J. R.

Jupiter's great red spot revisited

On the original Taylor column theory of Jupiter's Great Red Spot, the fixed latitude of the Spot is taken to imply that the Taylor column in Jupiter's atmosphere is associated with a disturbance such as a topographic feature of the surface Q underlying the atmosphere. The alternative suggestion that the Taylor column is produced by a solid raft floating at depth in the atmosphere is somewhat easier to reconcile with the approximately 10s difference between the respective rotation periods P sub S and P sub R of the Red Spot and of the radio sources, but it does not account so readily for the fixed latitude of the Spot unless it can be shown that the raft is in stable equilibrium under the north-south components of the dynamical forces, including wind effects, acting upon it. A slight wavering of the upper end of the Taylor column relative to the lower end could account at least in part for the most rapid variations in P sub S, but the slow large-amplitude variations in P sub S must reflect changes in the longitudinal motion of either the surface Q or of the raft. By generalizing the Proudman-Taylor theorem to the case of a non-homogeneous fluid it is shown that the Taylor column theory does not imply very special and therefore unlikely horizontal and vertical temperature variations in Jupiter's atmosphere, thus refuting a widely-held belief to the contrary.

Hide, R.

On the Behavior of Velocity Fluctuations in Rapidly Rotating Flows

The behavior of velocity fluctuations subjected to rapid rotation is examined. The rapid rotation considered is any arbitrary combination of two basic forms of rotation, reference frame rotation and mean flow rotation. It is recognized that the two types of rotating flows differ in the manner in which the fluctuating fields are advected. The first category is comprised of flows in rotating systems of which synoptic scale geophysical flows are a good example. In this class of flows the fluctuating velocity field advects and rotates with the mean flow. In the rapid rotation limit, the Taylor-Proudman theorem describes the behavior of this class of fluctuations. Velocity fluctuations that are advected without rotation by the mean flow constitute the second category which includes vortical flows of aerodynamic interest. The Taylor-Proudman theorem is not pertinent to I his class flows and a new result appropriate to this second category of fluctuations is derived. The present development demonstrates that the fluctuating velocity fields are rendered two-dimensional and horizontally non-divergent in the limit of any large combination of reference frame rotation and mean-flow rotation. The concommitant 'geostrophic' balance of the momentum equation is, however, dependent upon the form of rapid rotation. It is also demonstrated that the evolution equations of a two-dimensional fluctuating velocity fields are frame-indifferent with any imposed mean-flow rotation. The analyses and results of this paper highlight many fundamental aspects of rotating flows and have important consequences for their turbulence closures in inertial and non-inertial frames.

Girimaji, S. S.

Correlation velocities.

Coefficients of Taylor expansion of correlation function in various velocities defined to describe space-time behavior

VELOCITY MEASUREMENT

Two-point Taylor series expansions

Coefficients calculated for Taylor series expansion about two points - application of Taylor expansion to two-body problem

TWO-BODY PROBLEM

A possible explanation of the mechanism of formation of the equatorial jet on the surface of Jupiter

Formation of the equatorial jet of the Jovian surface was explained as a consequence of the Taylor-Proudman theorem. The asymptotic theory of motion of low viscosity fluids in a rotating spherical shear layer was included. The model shows the straited structure of the Jovian surface as the outflow of convective cells having the shape of axisymmetric rolls extended along the axis of rotation in the meridional direction. Depth of the layer was found to be of the order of 1000 kilometers.

Yavorskaya, I. M.

On theories of rotating convection zones

It is shown that the time rate of change brought about by turbulent convective motions in the angular momentum of a thin spherical shell is such as to increase the angular velocity of the lower part of the solar convection zone (SCZ) and to decrease the angular velocity of the upper part. Arguments are presented in favor of the following very tentative model of rotation in the SCZ: (1) the lower region is in weaker differential rotation than the surface and not constrained by the Taylor-Proudman theorem, and (2) the observed solar differential rotation at the surface is generated as the SCZ relaxes from the state in the lower part to the state at the surface. In the upper and lower layers of the SCZ, angular-momentum conservation between the turbulent motions and viscous stresses leads to an angular velocity increasing upward.

Durney, B. R.

Turbulence modeling in non-inertial frames of reference

The effect of an arbitrary change of frame on the structure of turbulence models is examined from a fundamental theoretical standpoint. It is proven, as a rigorous consequence of the Navier-Stokes equations, that turbulence models must be form invariant under arbitrary translational accelerations of the reference frame and should only be affected by rotations through the intrinsic mean vorticity. A direct application of the invariance property along with the Taylor-Proudman Theorem, material frame-indifference in the limit of two-dimensional turbulence and Rapid Distortion Theory is shown to yield powerful constraints on the allowable form of turbulence models. Most of the commonly used turbulence models are demonstrated to be in serious violation of these constraints and consequently are inconsistent with the Navier-Stokes equations in non-inertial frames. Alternative models with improved non-inertial properties are developed and some simple applications to rotating turbulent flows are considered.

Speziale, Charles G.

Spacelab experiments on convection in a rotating spherical shell with radial gravity

Data from the geophysical fluid flow cell experiment on Spacelab 3 revealed the diverse forms of fluid motion that can occur in geometrically simple models of global convection with rotation and radial gravity. The following types of convection were observed: midlatitude waves interacting with the low-latitude columnar convection rolls or 'banana cells', spiral waves' near the poles when latitudinal heating gradients are present on the bounding surfaces, and 'triangular waves' coupling midlatitude and equatorial disturbances under similar differential heating. It is believed that concepts based on the Taylor-Proudman theorem have a central role in many flows realized in the rapidly rotating experiments when H is approximately 0; however, the resulting banana cells are subject to secondary instabilities that produce intricate time dependence and eventually turbulent flows in which only hints of the simpler patterns are recognizable.

Toomre, Juri

Turbulence modeling in noninertial frames of reference

The effect of an arbitrary change of frame on the structure of turbulence models is examined from a fundamental theoretical standpoint. It is proven, as a rigorous consequence of the Navier-Stokes equations, that turbulence models must be form invariant under arbitrary translational accelerations of the reference frame and should only be affected by rotations through the intrinsic mean vorticity. A direct application of the invariance property along with the Taylor-Proudman Theorem, material frame-indifference in the limit of two-dimensional turbulence and Rapid Distortion Theory is shown to yield powerful constraints on the allowable form of turbulence models. Most of the commonly used turbulence models are demonstrated to be in serious violation of these constraints and consequently are inconsistent with the Navier-Stokes equations in non-inertial frames. Alternative models with improved non-inertial properties are developed and some simple applications to rotating turbulent flows are considered.

Speziale, Charles G.

Analytical and phenomenological studies of rotating turbulence

A framework, which combines mathematical analysis, closure theory, and phenomenological treatment, is developed to study the spectral transfer process and reduction of dimensionality in turbulent flows that are subject to rotation. First, we outline a mathematical procedure that is particularly appropriate for problems with two disparate time scales. The approach which is based on the Green's method leads to the Poincare velocity variables and the Poincare transformation when applied to rotating turbulence. The effects of the rotation are now reflected in the modifications to the convolution of a nonlinear term. The Poincare transformed equations are used to obtain a time-dependent analog of the Taylor-Proudman theorem valid in the asymptotic limit when the non-dimensional parameter mu is identical to Omega(t) approaches infinity (Omega is the rotation rate and t is the time). The 'split' of the energy transfer in both direct and inverse directions is established. Secondly, we apply the Eddy-Damped-Quasinormal-Markovian (EDQNM) closure to the Poincare transformed Euler/Navier-Stokes equations. This closure leads to expressions for the spectral energy transfer. In particular, an unique triple velocity decorrelation time is derived with an explicit dependence on the rotation rate. This provides an important input for applying the phenomenological treatment of Zhou. In order to characterize the relative strength of rotation, another non-dimensional number, a spectral Rossby number, which is defined as the ratio of rotation and turbulence time scales, is introduced. Finally, the energy spectrum and the spectral eddy viscosity are deduced.

Mahalov, Alex

Toward a Turbulence Constitutive Relation for Rotating Flows

In rapidly rotating turbulent flows the largest scales of the motion are in approximate geostrophic balance. Single-point turbulence closures, in general, cannot attain a geostrophic balance. This article addresses and resolves the possibility of constitutive relation procedures for single-point second order closures for a specific class of rotating or stratified flows. Physical situations in which the geostrophic balance is attained are described. Closely related issues of frame-indifference, horizontal nondivergence, Taylor-Proudman theorem and two-dimensionality are, in the context of both the instantaneous and averaged equations, discussed. It is shown, in the absence of vortex stretching along the axis of rotation, that turbulence is frame-indifferent. A derivation and discussion of a geostrophic constraint which the prognostic equations for second-order statistics must satisfy for turbulence approaching a frame-indifferent limit is given. These flow situations, which include rotating and nonrotating stratified flows, are slowly evolving flows in which the constitutive relation procedures are useful. A nonlinear non-constant coefficient representation for the rapid-pressure strain covariance appearing in the Reynolds stress and heat flux equations consistent with the geostrophic balance is described. The rapid-pressure strain model coefficients are not constants determined by numerical optimization but are functions of the state of the turbulence as parameterized by the Reynolds stresses and the turbulent heat fluxes. The functions are valid for all states of the turbulence attaining their limiting values only when a limit state is achieved. These issues are relevant to strongly vortical flows as well as flows such as the planetary boundary layers, in which there is a transition from a three-dimensional shear driven turbulence to a geostrophic or horizontal turbulence.

Ristorcelli, J. R.

The simultaneous integration of many trajectories using nilpotent normal forms

Taylor's formula shows how to approximate a certain class of functions by polynomials. The approximations are arbitrarily good in some neighborhood whenever the function is analytic and they are easy to compute. The main goal is to give an efficient algorithm to approximate a neighborhood of the configuration space of a dynamical system by a nilpotent, explicitly integrable dynamical system. The major areas covered include: an approximating map; the generalized Baker-Campbell-Hausdorff formula; the Picard-Taylor method; the main theorem; simultaneous integration of trajectories; and examples.

Grayson, Matthew A.

Volume integrals associated with the inhomogeneous Helmholtz equation. Part 1: Ellipsoidal region

Problems of wave phenomena in fields of acoustics, electromagnetics and elasticity are often reduced to an integration of the inhomogeneous Helmholtz equation. Results are presented for volume integrals associated with the Helmholtz operator, nabla(2) to alpha(2), for the case of an ellipsoidal region. By using appropriate Taylor series expansions and multinomial theorem, these volume integrals are obtained in series form for regions r 4' and r r', where r and r' are distances from the origin to the point of observation and source, respectively. Derivatives of these integrals are easily evaluated. When the wave number approaches zero, the results reduce directly to the potentials of variable densities.

Fu, L. S.

Volume integrals associated with the inhomegeneous Helmholtz equation. Part 2: Cylindrical region; rectangular region

Results are presented for volume integrals associated with the Helmholtz operator, nabla(2) + alpha(2), for the cases of a finite cylindrical region and a region of rectangular parallelepiped. By using appropriate Taylor series expansions and multinomial theorem, these volume integrals are obtained in series form for regions r r' and r 4', where r and r' are distances from the origin to the point of observation and source, respectively. When the wave number approaches zero, the results reduce directly to the potentials of variable densities.

Zhong, W. F.

Nongeostrophic theory of zonally averaged circulation. I - Formulation

A nongeostrophic theory of zonally averaged circulation is formulated using the nonlinear primitive equations (mass conservation, thermodynamics, and zonal momentum) on a sphere. The relationship between the mean meridional circulation and diabatic heating rate is studied. Differences between results of nongeostropic theory and the geostrophic formulation concerning the role of eddy forcing of the diabatic circulation and the nonlinear nearly inviscid limit versus the geostrophic limit are discussed. Consideration is given to the Eliassen-Palm flux divergence, the Eliassen-Palm pseudodivergence, the nonacceleration theorem, and the nonlinear nongeostrophic Taylor relationship.

Tung, Ka Kit