The Richardson's Law in Large-Eddy Simulations of Boundary Layer flows

Relative dispersion in a neutrally stratified planetary boundary layer (PBL) is investigated by means of Large-Eddy Simulations (LES). Despite the small extension of the inertial range of scales in the simulated PBL, our Lagrangian statistics turns out to be compatible with the Richardson $t^3$ law for the average of square particle separation. This emerges from the application of nonstandard methods of analysis through which a precise measure of the Richardson constant was also possible. Its values is estimated as $C_2\sim 0.5$ in close agreement with recent experiments and three-dimensional direct numerical simulations.Comment: 15 LaTex pages, 4 PS figure

Interactions between downslope flows and a developing cold-air pool

A numerical model has been used to characterize the development of a region of enhanced cooling in an alpine valley with a width of order (Formula presented.) km, under decoupled stable conditions. The region of enhanced cooling develops largely as a region of relatively dry air which partitions the valley atmosphere dynamics into two volumes, with airflow partially trapped within the valley by a developing elevated inversion. Complex interactions between the region of enhanced cooling and the downslope flows are quantified. The cooling within the region of enhanced cooling and the elevated inversion is almost equally partitioned between radiative and dynamic effects. By the end of the simulation, the different valley atmospheric regions approach a state of thermal equilibrium with one another, though this cannot be said of the valley atmosphere and its external environment.Peer reviewe

Revival of the magnetar PSR J1622-4950: observations with MeerKAT, Parkes, XMM-Newton, Swift, Chandra, and NuSTAR

New radio (MeerKAT and Parkes) and X-ray (XMM-Newton, Swift, Chandra, and NuSTAR) observations of PSR J1622-4950 indicate that the magnetar, in a quiescent state since at least early 2015, reactivated between 2017 March 19 and April 5. The radio flux density, while variable, is approximately 100x larger than during its dormant state. The X-ray flux one month after reactivation was at least 800x larger than during quiescence, and has been decaying exponentially on a 111+/-19 day timescale. This high-flux state, together with a radio-derived rotational ephemeris, enabled for the first time the detection of X-ray pulsations for this magnetar. At 5%, the 0.3-6 keV pulsed fraction is comparable to the smallest observed for magnetars. The overall pulsar geometry inferred from polarized radio emission appears to be broadly consistent with that determined 6-8 years earlier. However, rotating vector model fits suggest that we are now seeing radio emission from a different location in the magnetosphere than previously. This indicates a novel way in which radio emission from magnetars can differ from that of ordinary pulsars. The torque on the neutron star is varying rapidly and unsteadily, as is common for magnetars following outburst, having changed by a factor of 7 within six months of reactivation.Comment: Published in ApJ (2018 April 5); 13 pages, 4 figure

The Tropopause and the Thermal Stratification in the Extratropics of a Dry Atmosphere

This paper discusses results from a series of direct numerical simulations of the microscale cloud-clear air mixing, set forth in the idealized scenario of decaying moist turbulence. In the moist case, kinetic energy of microscale motions comes not only from the classical downscale energy cascade, but it can also be generated internally due to the evaporation of cloud droplets. Three sets of numerical simulations are performed for three intensities of initial large-scale eddies. In each set, a control dry simulation is performed, as well as two moist simulations applying either bulk or detailed representation of cloud microphysics. Model results suggest that, as far as the evolutions of enstrophy and turbulent kinetic energy are concerned, the most significant impact of moist processes occurs at the low intensity of initial large-scale eddies (the input turbulent kinetic energy of 2 X 10-4 m2 s-2 resulting in the maximum eddy dissipation rate of 5 X 10-4 m2 s-3). In such a case, mixing and homogenization are dominated by the kinetic energy generated as a result of evaporation of cloud water and its impact on the microscale buoyancy. Detailed microphysics, which explicitly treat the size dependence of cloud droplet sedimentation and evaporation, appear to have a comparatively small effect, although this result might be an artifact of a coarse grid resolution used in the simulations. High anisotropy, also observed in laboratory experiments with mixing, between cloudy and cloud-free air, prevails even at the high intensity of initial large-scale eddies (the input turbulent kinetic energy of 2 X 10-2 m2 s-2, the maximum eddy dissipation rate of 7 × 10-3 m2 s-3), despite the fact that mixing and homogenization proceed in a similar manner in moist and dry simulations. Impact on cloud microphysics is also quantified. Cloud droplet spectra at the end of simulations correspond to neither the extremely inhomogeneous nor homogeneous mixing scenarios-the two asymptotic limits where, respectively, either the cloud droplet size or the number of cloud droplets remain constant. The shift from low to high intensity of initial large-scale eddies shifts the mixing scenario toward the homogeneous case, corroborating the classical argument based on scale analysis. © 2004 American Meteorological Society

Large-Eddy Simulation of Flow and Pollutant Transport in Urban Street Canyons with Ground Heating

Our study employed large-eddy simulation (LES) based on a one-equation subgrid-scale model to investigate the flow field and pollutant dispersion characteristics inside urban street canyons. Unstable thermal stratification was produced by heating the ground of the street canyon. Using the Boussinesq approximation, thermal buoyancy forces were taken into account in both the Navier–Stokes equations and the transport equation for subgrid-scale turbulent kinetic energy (TKE). The LESs were validated against experimental data obtained in wind-tunnel studies before the model was applied to study the detailed turbulence, temperature, and pollutant dispersion characteristics in the street canyon of aspect ratio 1. The effects of different Richardson numbers (Ri) were investigated. The ground heating significantly enhanced mean flow, turbulence, and pollutant flux inside the street canyon, but weakened the shear at the roof level. The mean flow was observed to be no longer isolated from the free stream and fresh air could be entrained into the street canyon at the roof-level leeward corner. Weighed against higher temperature, the ground heating facilitated pollutant removal from the street canyon.Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology. Center for Environmental Sensing and Monitorin

Comparison of two- and three-dimensional simulations of miscible Rayleigh-Taylor instability

A comparison of two-dimensional and three-dimensional high-resolution numerical large-eddy simulations of planar, miscible Rayleigh-Taylor instability flows are presented. The resolution of the three-dimensional simulation is sufficient to attain a fully turbulent state. A number of different statistics from the mixing region (e.g., growth rates, PDFs, mixedness measures, and spectra) are used to demonstrate that two-dimensional flow simulations differ substantially from the three-dimensional one. It is found that the two-dimensional flow grows more quickly than its three-dimensional counterpart at late times, develops larger structures, and is much less well mixed. These findings are consistent with the concept of inverse cascade in two-dimensional flow, as well as the influence of a reduced effective Atwood number on miscible flow

Validation of anthropometric and bioelectrical impedance equations for the prediction of fat mass amongst South African children

AbstractBackground/AimsWhile several prediction equations which combine anthropometric, demographic, and/or bioelectrical impedance (BIA) variables to estimate childhood fat mass (FM) are available, comprehensive comparisons of their performance are lacking. We validated FM estimates for children from a range of published equations against reference‐standard deuterium dilution observed FM.MethodsThis cross‐sectional study was based on 323 children (42% male) from South Africa of Black African ethnic origins aged 5 to 8 years with information on age, sex, ethnicity, height, weight, deuterium dilution observed FM, triceps and subscapular skinfold thickness, and BIA observed FM, resistance, and impedance. We extracted all equations from three systematic reviews of childhood FM prediction equations that used the above available predictors and were developed on more than 100 males and females. FM estimates from each equation were calculated and the performance of each, as well as FM reported from the BIA manufacturer software, was compared with deuterium dilution observed FM using statistics of R2, Calibration (slope and calibration‐in‐the‐large), and root mean square error (RMSE).ResultsNineteen equations (1 based on basic anthropometry, 12 on skinfold thickness, 6 on BIA) were validated. R2 and RMSE values ranged between 58.3% (BIA manufacturer equation) and 89.0% (Britz et al. (2017) skinfold thickness equation), and between 1.1 kg (Wendel et al. (2016) skinfold thickness equation) and 3.4 kg (Horlick et al. (2002) BIA equation), respectively. Calibration varied considerably across the equations. From the basic anthropometry, skinfold thickness, and BIA categories, the best performing equations from each category were by: Hudda et al. (2019) (basic anthropometry), Wickramasinghe et al. (2008) (skinfold thickness), and Ramirez et al. (2012) (BIA).ConclusionsThe performance of published equations varied considerably upon external validation in this South African childhood population. Notably, the Hudda et al. (2019) equation, which relies solely on readily available information of weight, height, sex, age and ethnicity, produced one of the highest R2 values, was well calibrated, and produced a low RMSE value (1.4 kg). Alternative equations which also performed very well relied on additional measurements of skinfold thickness and/or BIA which require equipment, training, extra costs and additional time to obtain