Instability of planetary flows using Riemann curvature: a numerical study

ABSTRACT

The instability of ideal non-divergent zonal flows on the sphere is determined numerically by the instability criterion of Arnold (Ann. Inst. Fourier 1966, 16, 319) for the sectional curvature. Zonal flows are unstable for all perturbations besides for a small set which are in approximate resonance. The planetary rotation is stable and the presence of rotation reduces the instability of perturbations.     

Hydromagnetic waves in a differentially rotating annulus. II. Resistive instabilities

Abstract

In part I of this study (Fearn, 1983b), instabilities of a conducting fluid driven by a toroidal magnetic field B were investigated. As well as confirming the results of a local stability analysis by Acheson (1983), a new resistive mode of instability was found. Here we investigate this mode in more detail and show that instability exists when B(s) has a zero at some radius s=s _c. Then (in the limit of small resistivity) the instability is concentrated in a critical layer centered on s _c . The importance of the region where B is small casts some doubt on the validity of the simplifications made to the momentum equation in I. Calculations were therefore repeated using the full momentum equation. These demonstrate that the neglect of viscous and inertial terms when the mean field is strong does not lead to spurious results even when there are regions where B is small.     

Long-wave instability of an isolated front

Abstract

The stability of an isolated one-layer reduced gravity front is examined. It is shown that the system is unstable to long-wave disturbances provided merely that a simple condition on the depth profile is satisfied far from the front. The instability does not require the extremum of potential vorticity needed by quasi-geostrophic theory. The instability releases mean kinetic and mean potential energy from the system, but lacking a second layer cannot truly be termed baroclinic instability.     

The instability of barotropic circular vortices

Abstract

The linear, normal mode instability of barotropic circular vortices with zero circulation is examined in the f-plane quasigeostrophic equations. Equivalents of Rayleigh's and Fjortoft's criteria and the semicircle theorem for parallel shear flow are given, and the energy equation shows the instability to be barotropic. A new result is that the fastest growing perturbation is often an internal instability, having a finite vertical scale, but may also be an external instability, having no vertical structure. For parallel shear flow the fastest growing perturbation is always an external instability; this is Squire's theorem. Whether the fastest growing perturbation is internal or external depends upon the profile: for mean flow streamfunction profiles which monotonically decrease with radius, the instability is internal for less steep profiles with a broad velocity extremum and external for steep profiles with a narrow velocity extremum. Finite amplitude, numerical model calculations show that this linear instability analysis is not valid very far into the finite amplitude range, and that a barotropic vortex, whose fastest growing perturbation is internal, is vertically fragmented by the instability.     

Granite deformation and behavior of acoustic emission sequence under the temperature and pressure condition at different crust depths

IntroductionFocal depths of shallow strong intraplate earthquakes are mostly distributed in the highstrength range of lithosphere controlled by the rheology property of granite and diorite (Brace,Kohlstedt, 1980; Sibson, 1982; Meissner, Strehlau, 1982; CHEN, Molnap 1983). This is obviouslyrelated to the change of rock deformation characteriStics at different crust depths. So, for earthquake stUdy, both of the rock failure types (fractUre or rock flow) and its mechanical instabilityforms (…     

Laboratory experiments in a baroclinic annulus with heating and cooling on the horizontal boundaries

Abstract

Experiments have been performed in a cylindrical annulus with horizontal temperature gradients imposed upon the horizontal boundaries and in which the vertical depth was smaller than the width of the annulus. Qualitative observations were made by the use of small, suspended, reflective flakes in the liquid (water).

Four basic regimes of flow were observed: (1) axisymmetric flow, (2) deep cellular convection, (3) boundary layer convective rolls, and (4) baroclinic waves. In some cases there was a mix of baroclinic and convective instabilities present. As a “mean” interior Richardson number was decreased from a value greater than unity to one less than zero, axisymmetric baroclinic instability of the Solberg type was never observed. Rather, the transition was from non-axisymmetric baroclinic waves, to a mix of baroclinic and convective instability, to irregular cellular convection.     

Magnetic equilibria resulting from a helically symmetric kink instability

Abstract

This paper explores magnetic equilibria which could result from the kink instability in a cylindrical magnetic flux tube. We examine a variety of cylindrical magnetic equilibria which are susceptible to the kink, and simulate its evolution in a frictional fluid. We assume that the evolution takes place under conditions of helical symmetry, so the problem becomes effectively two-dimensional. The initial cylindrical equilibrium field is specified in terms of its twist function k(r) = B _θ/(rB_z ) and for a variety of k(r) functions we calculate linear growth rates for the kink instability, assuming that it develops under helical symmetry with pitch τ. We find that the growth rate is sensitive to the value of τ.

We simulate nonlinear evolution of the kink using a Lagrangian frictional code which constrains the field to have helical symmetry of a given pitch τ. Ideal MHD is assumed and the plasma pressure is taken to be small in order to mimic conditions in the solar corona. In some cases the flux tube evolves to a new smooth helically symmetric equilibrium which involves a relatively small change in the maximum electric current. In other cases there is evidence of current-sheet formation.     

Magnetic instabilities in rapidly rotating spherical geometries II. more realistic fields and resistive instabilities

Abstract

Magnetic instabilities play an important role in the understanding of the dynamics of the Earth's fluid core. In this paper we continue our study of the linear stability of an electrically conducting fluid in a rapidly rotating, rigid, electrically insulating spherical geometry in the presence of a toroidal basic state, comprising magnetic field B_MB _O(r, θ)1ø and flow U_MU _O(r, θ)1ø The magnetostrophic approximation is employed to numerically analyse the two classes of instability which are likely to be relevant to the Earth. These are the field gradient (or ideal) instability, which requires strong field gradients and strong fields, and the resistive instability, dependent on finite resistivity and the presence of a zero in the basic state B _O(r,θ). Based on a local analysis and numerical results in a cylindrical geometry we have established the existence of the field gradient instability in a spherical geometry for very simple basic states in the first paper of this series. Here, we extend the calculations to more realistic basic states in order to obtain a comprehensive understanding of the field gradient mode. Having achieved this we turn our attention to the resistive instability. Its presence in a spherical model is confirmed by the numerical calculations for a variety of basic states. The purpose of these investigations is not just to find out which basic states can become unstable but also to provide a quantitative measure as to how strong the field must become before instability occurs. The strength of the magnetic field is measured by the Elsasser number; its critical value _c describing the state of marginal stability. For the basic states which we have studied we find _c 200–1000 for the field gradient mode, whereas for the resistive modes _c 50–160. For the field gradient instability, _c increases rapidly with the azimuthal wavenumber m whereas in the resistive case there is no such pronounced difference for modes corresponding to different values of m. The above values of _c indicate that both types of instability, ideal and resistive, are of relevance to the parameter regime found inside the Earth. For the resistive mode, as is increased from _c, we find a shortening lengthscale in the direction along the contour B_O = 0. Such an effect was not observable in simpler (for example, cylindrical) models.     

Rotational and magnetic instability in the diffusive tachocline

In this article we study the linear instability of the two-dimensional strongly stratified model for global MHD in the diffusive solar tachocline. Gilman and Fox [Gilman, P.A. and Fox, P., Joint instability of the latitudinal differential rotation and toroidal magnetic fields below the solar convection zone. Astrophys. J., 1997, 484, 439–454] showed that for ideal MHD, the observed surface differential rotation becomes more unstable than is predicted by Watson's [Watson, M., Shear instability of differential rotation in stars. Geophys. Astrophys. Fluid Dyn., 1981, 16, 285–298] nonmagnetic analysis. They showed that the solar differential rotation is unstable for essentially all reasonable values of the differential rotation in the presence of an antisymmetric toroidal field. They found that for the broad field case B _φ～sinθcosθ, θ being the co-latitude, instability occurs only for the azimuthal m?=?1 mode, and concluded that modes which are symmetric (meridional flow in the same direction) about the equator onset at lower field strengths than the antisymmetric modes. We study the effect of viscosity and magnetic diffusivity in the strongly stably stratified case where diffusion is primarily along the level surfaces. We show that antisymmetric modes are now strongly preferred over symmetric modes, and that diffusion can sometimes be destabilising. Even solid body rotation can be destabilised through the action of magnetic field. In addition, we show that when diffusion is present, instability can occur when the longitudinal wavenumber m?=?2.     

Hydromagnetic waves in a differentially rotating Annulus I. A test of local stability analysis

Abstract

A cylindrical annulus containing a conducting fluid and rapidly rotating about its axis is a useful model for the Earth's core. With a shear flow U ₀(s)∮, magnetic field B ₀(s)∮, and temperature distribution T _o(s) (where (s, ∮, z) are cylindrical polar coordinates), many important properties of the core can be modelled while a certain degree of mathematical simplicity is maintained. In the limit of rapid rotation and at geophysically interesting field strengths, the effects of viscous diffusion and fluid inertia are neglected. In this paper, the linear stability of the above basic state to instabilities driven by gradients of B ₀ and U ₀ is investigated. The global numerical results show both instabilities predicted by a local analysis due to Acheson (1972, 1973, 1984) as well as a new resistive magnetic instability. For the non-diffusive field gradient instability we looked at both monotonic fields [for which the local stability parameter Δ, defined in (1.4), is a constant] and non-monotonic fields (for which Δ is a function of s). For both cases we found excellent qualitative agreement between the numerical and local results but found the local criterion (1.6) for instability to be slightly too stringent. For the non-monotonic fields, instability is confined approximately to the region which is locally unstable. We also investigated the diffusive buoyancy catalysed instability for monotonic fields and found good quantitative agreement between the numerical results and the local condition (1.9). The new resistive instability was found for fields vanishing (or small) at the outer boundary and it is concentrated in the region of that boundary. The resistive boundary layer plays an important part in this instability so it is not of a type which could be predicted using a local stability analysis (which takes no account of the presence of boundaries).     

Convective dynamos with intermediate and strong fields

Abstract

The weak-field Benard-type dynamo treated by Soward is considered here at higher levels of the induced magnetic field. Two sources of instability are found to occur in the intermediate field regime M ～ T ^1/12, where M and T are the Hartmann and Taylor numbers. On the time scale of magnetic diffusion, solutions may blow up in finite time owing to destabilization of the convection by the magnetic field. On a faster time scale a dynamic instability related to MAC-wave instability can also occur. It is therefore concluded that the asymptotic structure of this dynamo is unstable to virtual increases in the magnetic field energy.

In an attempt to model stabilization of the dynamo in a strong-field regime we consider two approximations. In the first, a truncated expansion in three-dimensional plane waves is studied numerically. A second approach utilizes an ad hoc set of ordinary differential equations which contains many of the features of convection dynamos at all field energies. Both of these models exhibit temporal intermittency of the dynamo effect.     

Instability of a thin magnetic tube in the solar atmosphere

Abstract

The static equilibrium of a thin vertical magnetic tube embedded in the solar atmosphere is shown to be dynamically unstable against the fundamental mode of perturbation having no nodes in the vertical displacement. The instability has its origin in the convection zone, and the eigenfunction is extended further up in the stable upper layers by the magnetic field which guides the displacement mainly in the longitudinal direction. It is suggested that the downdraft observed in the solar network structure is a finite amplitude consequence of this instability. The overtone modes are found to be stable.     

Instability of flows near the onset of convection in a rotating layer with stress-free horizontal boundaries

We investigate instability of convective flows of simple structure (rolls, standing and travelling waves) in a rotating layer with stress-free horizontal boundaries near the onset of convection. We show that the flows are always unstable to perturbations, which are linear combinations of large-scale modes and short-scale modes, whose wave numbers are close to those of the perturbed flows. Depending on asymptotic relations of small parameters α (the difference between the wave number of perturbed flows and the critical wave number for the onset of convection) and ε (ε² being the overcriticality and the perturbed flow amplitude being O(ε)), either small-angle or Eckhaus instability is prevailing. In the case of small-angle instability for rolls the largest growth rate scales as ε^8/5, in agreement with results of Cox and Matthews (Cox, S.M. and Matthews, P.C., Instability of rotating convection. J. Fluid. Mech., 2000, 403, 153–172) obtained for rolls with k = k _c . For waves, the largest growth rate is of the order ε^4/3. In the case of Eckhaus instability the growth rate is of the order of α².     

Local turbulence in the Earth's core

Abstract

It is shown that in the Earth's core, where the geodynamo is at work (and is supplied with energy by the prevailing unstable density stratification), a buoyancy instability of a local character exists which is highly supercritical. This instability results in fully developed turbulence dominated by small scale vortices. The influence of the Earth's rotation and of the magnetic field produced by the geodynamo makes this small scale turbulence highly anisotropic. A qualitative picture of this local anisotropic turbulence is devised and the main parameters characterizing it are estimated. Expressions for the turbulent diffusivity are developed and discussed.     

Barotropic instability of weakly non-parallel zonal flows

Abstract

Barotropic instability of weakly non-parallel zonal flows with localized intense shear regions is investigated numerically. The numerical integrations of the linear stability problem reveal the existence of unstable localized wave packets whose spatial structure and eigenfrequencies depend on two parameters which measure the degree of supercriticality and the zonal length-scale of the shear region. The results indicate that the structure of the instability is determined by conditions that ensure the decay of the wave packet at infinity and the transition from long to short waves across a turning point (critical layer) region which is controlled by non-parallel effects. The controlling influence exerted by the weak non-parallel effects on the evolution of the instability underlines the weakness of the parallel flow assumption which can be used locally, away from critical layers, as a diagnostic tool only.     

Experimental examination on the heterogeneity parameter C v of earthquake precursors

Two rock samples with different structures and materials were deformed under a biaxial loading system, and multipoint strain measurements were performed for each sample. The distribution of strain anomalies during the deformation and the instability process were analyzed by using C _v value put forward by WANG Xiao-qing and CHEN Xue-zhong, et al, a parameter to describe the heterogeneous distribution of earthquake precursors, so as to examine the method of C _v value and to explore its physical meaning experimentally. The result shows that the change of C _v value is correlated to the change of deformation characteristics and is an effective parameter to describe the heterogeneity of precursor distribution. C _v value increases firstly and then decreases before the instability, and the instability occurs when C _v value decreases to the level before increasing. This indicates that C _v value may be a useful parameter for earthquake prediction. Foundation item: Chinese Joint Earthquake Sciences Foundation (9507435).     

Magnetic instabilities in rapidly rotating spherical geometries. III. The effect of differential rotation

Abstract

We investigate the influence of differential rotation on magnetic instabilities for an electrically conducting fluid in the presence of a toroidal basic state of magnetic field B ₀ = B_MB₀(r, θ)1 _φ and flow U₀ = U_MU₀ (r, θ)1_φ, [(r, θ, φ) are spherical polar coordinates]. The fluid is confined in a rapidly rotating, electrically insulating, rigid spherical container. In the first instance the influence of differential rotation on established magnetic instabilities is studied. These can belong to either the ideal or the resistive class, both of which have been the subject of extensive research in parts I and II of this series. It was found there, that in the absence of differential rotation, ideal modes (driven by gradients of B ₀) become unstable for A_c ? 200 whereas resistive instabilities (generated by magnetic reconnection processes near critical levels, i.e. zeros of B₀) require A_c ? 50. Here, Λ is the Elsasser number, a measure of the magnetic field strength and Λ_c is its critical value at marginal stability. Both types of instability can be stabilised by adding differential rotation into the system. For the resistive modes the exact form of the differential rotation is not important whereas for the ideal modes only a rotation rate which increases outward from the rotation axis has a stabilising effect. We found that in all cases which we investigated Λ_c increased rapidly and the modes disappeared when R_m ≈ O(Λ_C), where the magnetic Reynolds number R_m is a measure of the strength of differential rotation. The main emphasis, however, is on instabilities which are driven by unstable gradients of the differential rotation itself, i.e. an otherwise stable fluid system is destabilised by a suitable differential rotation once the magnetic Reynolds number exceeds a certain critical value (R_m )_c. Earlier work in the cylindrical geometry has shown that the differential rotation can generate an instability if R_m ) ?O(Λ). Those results, obtained for a fixed value of Λ = 100 are extended in two ways: to a spherical geometry and to an analysis of the effect of the magnetic field strength Λ on these modes of instability. Calculations confirm that modes driven by unstable gradients of the differential rotation can exist in a sphere and they are in good agreement with the local analysis and the predictions inferred from the cylindrical geometry. For Λ = O(100), the critical value of the magnetic Reynolds number (R_m )_c Λ 100, depending on the choice of flow U₀ . Modes corresponding to azimuthal wavenumber m = 1 are the most unstable ones. Although the magnetic field B ₀ is itself a stable one, the field strength plays an important role for this instability. For all modes investigated, both for cylindrical and spherical geometries, (R_m )_c reaches a minimum value for 50 ≈ Λ ≈ 100. If Λ is increased, (R_m )_c ∝ Λ, whereas a decrease of Λ leads to a rapid increase of (R_m )_c, i.e. a stabilisation of the system. No instability was found for Λ ≈ 10 — 30. Optimum conditions for instability driven by unstable gradients of the differential rotation are therefore achieved for ≈ Λ 50 — 100, R_m ? 100. These values lead to the conclusion that the instabilities can play an important role in the dynamics of the Earth's core.     

Energy spectra associated with long's model for steady finite-amplitude flow over orography

Abstract

The process of wave steepening in Long's model of steady, two-dimensional stably stratified flow over orography is examined. Under conditions of the long-wave approximation, and constant values of the background static stability and basic flow, Long's equation is cast into the form of a nonlinear advection equation. Spectral properties of this latter equation, which could be useful for the interpretation of data analyses under mountain wave conditions, are presented. The principal features, that apply at the onset of convective instability (density constant with height), are:

i) a power spectrum for available potential energy that exhibits a minus eight-thirds decay, in terms of the vertical wavenumber k _z ^-;

ii) a rate of energy transfer across the spectrum that is inversely proportional to the wavenumber for large k _z ^-;

iii) an equipartition between the kinetic energy of the horizontal motion and the available potential energy, under the longwave approximation, although all the disturbance energy is kinetic at the point where convective instability is initiated. It is also shown that features i) and ii) apply to more general conditions that are appropriate to Long's model, not just the long-wave approximation. Application to fully turbulent flow or to conditions at the onset of shearing instability are not considered to be warranted, since the development only applies to conditions at the onset of convective instability.     

The instability of precessing flow

Abstract

An explanation is put forward for the instability observed within a precessing, rotating spheroidal container. The constant vorticity solution for the flow suggested by Poincaré is found to be inertially unstable through the parametric coupling of two inertial waves by the underlying constant strain field. Such resonant couplings are due either to the elliptical or shearing strains present which elliptically distort the circular streamlines and shear their centres respectively. For the precessing Earth's outer core, the shearing of the streamlines and the ensuing shearing instability are the dominant features. The instability of some exact, linear solutions for finite precessional rates is established and used to corroborate the asymptotic analysis. A complementary unbounded analysis of a precessing, rotating fluid is also presented and used to deduce a likely upperbound on the growth rate of a small disturbance. Connection is made with past experimental studies.     

Shear flow instabilities in a rotating system

Abstract

The stability of a plane parallel shear flow with the profile U(z) = tanh z is considered in a rotating system with the axis of rotation in the z-direction. The establishment of the basic flow requires a baroclinic state, but baroclinic effects are suppressed in the stability analysis by assuming a limit of high thermal conductivity. It is shown that the strongest growing disturbance changes from a purely transverse form in the limit of vanishing rotation rate to a nearly longitudinal form as the angular velocity of rotation increases. An analytical solution of the stability equation is obtained for vanishing growth rates of the transverse form of the instability. But, in general, the solution of the problem requires numerical integrations which demonstrate that the preferred direction of the wave vector of the instability is towards the left of the direction of the mean flow.