Tripolar vortex in plasma flow

Strongly nonlinear processes in a two-component plasma with sheared flow, in the low-frequency limit, in comparison with the ion gyro frequency Ω_i, and for perturbations propagating perpendicularly to the ambient magnetic field are studied. In the linear domain such a system is prone to the development of instability of the Kelvin–Helmholtz type. In the nonlinear regime this instability can saturate into stationary travelling solutions of the form of vortex chains and tripolar vortices, which are found in this paper.     

Vortical mechanism for collimation and acceleration of jets

A vortical mechanism for the collimation and acceleration of astrophysical jets is proposed on the basis of exact solutions of the hydrodynamic equations in a homogeneous gravitational field taking viscosity into account. Velocity profiles in the form of a jet structure with a uniformly rotating trunk whose pressure decreases in time, and longitudinal and converging radial flows of matter, are examined. Because of the radial flow, the angular velocity of the trunk and the velocity of the longitudinal flow of matter can accelerate exponentially or in the manner of an “explosive” instability. Flows of this type have low energy dissipation and can serve as unique channels for the acceleration and collimation of jet eruptions from young stars, as well as from active galactic nuclei and quasars. __________ Translated from Astrofizika, Vol. 51, No. 3, pp. 431–444 (August 2008).     

On the merger of subsurface isolated vortices

Vortex merger is a phenomenon characterizing the whole class of geophysical vortices, from atmospheric storms and large oceanic eddies up to small scale turbulence. Here we focus on the merger of subsurface oceanic anticyclones in an idealized primitive equations model. This study has been motivated by past and recent observations of colliding lens-like anticyclones off of Gibraltar Strait. The critical conditions for merger (critical merger distance and time needed for merger) are determined. We will show that the predictions of classical two-dimensional merger are not verified for subsurface isolated vortices. For instance, critical merger distances will be reduced because of the vortex potential vorticity (PV) structure. The post-merger characteristics of the vortex (radius, extension and PV), are also determined. Merger-related effects, like production of peripheral filaments and small-scale eddies are also investigated and suggest the contribution of merger in both direct and inverse energy cascades.     

夏季青藏高原低涡的切向流场及波动特征分析

从大气动力学原理出发,将高原低涡视为受热源强迫的边界层内涡旋,建立了柱坐标下满足梯度风平衡的低涡控制方程组,分析高原低涡切向流场的基本特征.在此基础上,通过求解线性化涡旋模式,得出高原低涡中各类波动的频散关系及其特征,同时定性讨论了热力作用对混合波动的影响以及混合波动与高原低涡流场特征的联系.使用中尺度数值模式WRF分...     

“7.17”西北夏季沙尘暴数值模拟

 对2005年7月17日发生在西北地区近20 a来夏季最强的沙尘暴过程进行了数值模拟研究,结果得到:①沙尘暴发生前,沙源处于高温控制下;②起沙是水平低涡和垂直涡叠加而成的一种类似于Benard对流泡的系统扫掠沙源的结果;③起沙主要发生在水平低涡移动方向的右部。     

Large-scale structure of magnetospheric plasma

Recent investigations of magnetospheric plasma structure are summarized under the broad categories of empirical models, transport across boundaries, formation, and dynamics of the plasma sheet. This report reviews work in these areas during the period 1991 to 1993. Fully three-dimensional empirical models and simulations have become important contributors to our understanding of the magnetospheric system. Some new structural concepts have appeared in the literature: the entry boundary and geopause, the plasma sheet region 1 vortices, the low-energy layer, the adiabaticity boundary or wall region, and a region in the tail to which we refer as the injection port. Traditional structural concepts have also been the subject of recent study, notably the plasmapause, the magnetopause, and the plasma sheet. Significant progress has been made in understanding the nature of plasma sheet formation and dynamics, but the acceleration of electrons to high energy remains somewhat mysterious.     

Structure of a pair of anticyclonic vortices in northern part of the South China Sea in autumn of 1994

A pair of remarkable meso-scale anticyclonic vortices, one formed closely to another, inthe northern part of the South China Sea during the period from the later August to early September of 1994 were documented by the in situ observation data. Their spatial structures were examined in detail from the horizontal and two nearly perpendicular/vertical angles of view. It was shown that the horizontal scales of these two vortices were around 100, 50 km, and their vertical scales were about 500, 1000 m, respectively. Two "warm core" structures associated with these two vortices were found in their horizontal and vertical analyses. The closer spacing of these two vortices (namely, 60 km), which was smaller than the Rossby radius of deformation, suggested that they might merge with each other during their next evolution stages and form into a larger vortex eventually.     

The rotational quenching of the rotation-induced kinetic alpha-effect

Abstract

A theory of the non-diffusive anisotropic kinetic alpha-effect (“Γ-effect”) for densitystratified rotating turbulent fluids is developed. No limitations on the rotation rate are imposed and the fully nonlinear dependence of the Γ-effect on the angular velocity is studied. When the Coriolis number, ω? = 2τ ω, is small the dimensionless “dynamo number”, Cτ, characterising the power of the Γ-effect, grows with ω?. The dependence, however, reaches a maximum for ω? ～ 2. For still higher rotation rates C_Λ decreases as 1/ω?. In opposition, the corresponding number, C_x, of the hydromagnetic α² -dynamo problems remains finite for very large ω?. Hence, for fast rotation the hydrodynamic Γ-effect is small while the hydromagnetic α-effect remains large. In consequence, the large-scale magnetic and velocity structures are expected to be generated with roughly equal power in slowly rotating objects. In the rapid rotators, however, generation of the large-scale flows is problematic.     

Turbulence Structure of the Unstable Atmospheric Surface Layer and Transition to the Outer Layer

We present a new model of the structure of turbulence in the unstable atmospheric surface layer, and of the structural transition between this and the outer layer. The archetypal element of wall-bounded shear turbulence is the Theodorsen ejection amplifier (TEA) structure, in which an initial ejection of air from near the ground into an ideal laminar and logarithmic flow induces vortical motion about a hairpin-shaped core, which then creates a second ejection that is similar to, but larger than, the first. A series of TEA structures form a TEA cascade. In real turbulent flows TEA structures occur in distorted forms as TEA-like (TEAL) structures. Distortion terminates many TEAL cascades and only the best-formed TEAL structures initiate new cycles. In an extended log layer the resulting shear turbulence is a complex, self-organizing, dissipative system exhibiting self-similar behaviour under inner scaling. Spectral results show that this structure is insensitive to instability. This is contrary to the fundamental hypothesis of Monin--Obukhov similarity theory. All TEAL cascades terminate at the top of the surface layer where they encounter, and are severely distorted by, powerful eddies of similar size from the outer layer. These eddies are products of the breakdown of the large eddies produced by buoyancy in the outer layer. When the outer layer is much deeper than the surface layer the interacting eddies are from the inertial subrange of the outer Richardson cascade. The scale height of the surface layer, z _s, is then found by matching the powers delivered to the creation of emerging TEAL structures to the power passing down the Richardson cascade in the outer layer. It is z _s = u _* ³ /k_s, where u _* is friction velocity, k is the von Kármán constant and _s is the rate of dissipation of turbulence kinetic energy in the outer layer immediately above the surface layer. This height is comparable to the Obukhov length in the fully convective boundary layer. Aircraft and tower observations confirm a strong qualitative change in the structure of the turbulence at about that height. The tallest eddies within the surface layer have height z _s, so z _s is a new basis parameter for similarity models of the surface layer.     

山地背风涡旋的数值研究

本文建立了一个三维原始方程数值模式，模拟山地背风坡的环流系统。模拟结果表明，在较强层结条件下，山地背风坡上地形性中尺度斜压性大大加强，引起背风坡上的反向环流和涡旋偶极子，非粘性动力强迫效应是流场分离的重要机制。