The permanent precession of a baroclinic geophysical vortex is reproduced, under the quasi-geostrophic approximation, using three potential vorticity anomaly modes in spherical geometry. The potential vorticity modes involve the spherical Bessel functions of the first kind $\text{j}_{l}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C})$ and the spherical harmonics $\text{Y}_{l}^{m}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D703},\unicode[STIX]{x1D711})$, where $l$ is the degree, $m$ is the order, and $(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C},\unicode[STIX]{x1D703},\unicode[STIX]{x1D711})$ are the spherical coordinates. The vortex precession is interpreted as the horizontal and circular advection by a large-amplitude background flow associated with the spherical mode $c_{0}\text{j}_{0}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C})$ of the small-amplitude zonal mode $c_{2,0}\text{j}_{2}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C})\text{Y}_{2}^{0}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D703})$ tilted by a small-amplitude mode $c_{2,1}\text{j}_{2}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C})\text{Y}_{2}^{1}(\unicode[STIX]{x1D703},\unicode[STIX]{x1D711})$, where $\{c_{0},c_{2,0},c_{2,1}\}$ are constant potential vorticity modal amplitudes. An approximate time-dependent, closed-form solution for the potential vorticity anomaly is given. In this solution the motion of the potential vorticity field is periodic but not rigid. The vortex precession frequency $\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}_{0}$ depends linearly on the amplitudes $c_{0}$ and $c_{2,0}$ of the modal components of order 0, while the slope of the precessing axis depends on the ratio between the modal amplitude $c_{2,1}$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D714}_{0}$.

In this paper, we present the two-dimensional (2-D) energy cross-spectrum of the streamwise velocity ($u$) component and use it to test the notion of self-similarity in turbulent boundary layers. The primary focus is on the cross-spectrum ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F7}_{cross}^{w}$) measured across the logarithmic ($z_{o}$) and near-wall ($z_{r}$) wall-normal locations, providing the energy distribution across the range of streamwise ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{x}$) and spanwise ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{y}$) wavelengths (or length scales) that are coherent across the wall-normal distance. $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F7}_{cross}^{w}$ may thus be interpreted as a wall-filtered subset of the full 2-D $u$-spectrum ($\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F7}$), the latter providing information on all coexisting eddies at $z_{o}$. To this end, datasets comprising synchronized two-point $u$-signals at $z_{o}$ and $z_{r}$, across the friction Reynolds number range $Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}\sim O(10^{3}){-}O(10^{4})$, are analysed. The published direct numerical simulation (DNS) dataset of Sillero et al. (Phys. Fluids, vol. 26 (10), 2014, 105109) is considered for low-$Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}$ analysis, while the high-$Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}$ dataset is obtained by conducting synchronous multipoint hot-wire measurements. High-$Re_{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F}}$ cross-spectra reveal that the wall-attached large scales follow a $\unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{y}/z_{o}\sim \unicode[STIX]{x1D706}_{x}/z_{o}$ relationship more closely than seen for $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6F7}$, where this self-similar trend is obscured by coexisting scales. The present analysis reaffirms that a self-similar structure, conforming to Townsend’s attached eddy hypothesis, is ingrained in the flow.

We propose a one-way coupled model that tracks individual primary particles in a conceptually simple cellular flow set-up to predict flocculation in turbulence. This computationally efficient model accounts for Stokes drag, lubrication, cohesive and direct contact forces on the primary spherical particles, and allows for a systematic simulation campaign that yields the transient mean floc size as a function of the governing dimensionless parameters. The simulations reproduce the growth of the cohesive flocs with time, and the emergence of a log-normal equilibrium distribution governed by the balance of aggregation and breakage. Flocculation proceeds most rapidly when the Stokes number of the primary particles is $O(1)$. Results from this simple computational model are consistent with experimental observations, thus allowing us to propose a new analytical flocculation model that yields improved agreement with experimental data, especially during the transient stages.

Variability of the rotor aspect ratio is one of the inherent characteristics of vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) which differentiates them especially from the more conventional horizontal-axis wind turbines. In this study, we intend to investigate the effect of rotor aspect ratio on VAWT wakes. In particular, we aim to find out whether a common behaviour exists in the mean flow field of such wakes. In order to do so, we first design and perform a set of numerical experiments (using our already validated large-eddy simulation framework) to obtain the mean flow field of the wakes of three VAWTs of different aspect ratio (2, 1 and ${\textstyle \frac{1}{4}}$) and the same thrust coefficient ($C_{T}=0.8$). After observing the obvious differences in these three wakes, by using the classical momentum integral and the concept of momentum diameter, we come up with an appropriate normalization length scale $D_{eq}=\sqrt{(4/\unicode[STIX]{x03C0})DH}$, where $D$ is the rotor diameter and $H$ is the rotor height. By normalizing the lengths (both streamwise and lateral) involved in the mean velocity profiles by $D_{eq}$, we obtain a remarkable collapse of the wake profiles for the three aspect ratios. As a corollary, cross-sections of wakes of turbines with different aspect ratios eventually converge to a circular shape – not an elliptical one, for example, as one might presume intuitively. This result influences the modelling of VAWT far wakes and, in turn, has implications on the optimal configuration of VAWT farms.

We present an investigation on the onset of Darcy–Bénard instability in a two-dimensional porous medium saturated with a non-Newtonian fluid and heated from below in the presence of a uniform horizontal pressure gradient. The fluid is taken to be of power-law nature with constant rheological index $n$ and temperature-dependent consistency index $\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}^{\ast }$. A two-dimensional linear stability analysis in the vertical plane yields the critical wavenumber and the generalised critical Rayleigh number as functions of dimensionless problem parameters, with a non-monotonic dependence from $n$ and with maxima/minima at given values of $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FE}$, a parameter representing the effects of consistency index variations due to temperature. A series of experiments are conducted in a Hele-Shaw cell of aspect ratio $H/b=13.3{-}20$ to provide a verification of the theory. Xanthan Gum mixtures (nominal concentration from 0.10 % to 0.20 %) are employed as working fluids with a parameter range $n=0.55{-}0.72$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}_{0}^{\ast }=0.02{-}0.10~\text{Pa}~\text{s}^{n}$. The experimental critical wavenumber corresponding to incipient instability of the convective cells is derived via image analysis for different values of the imposed horizontal velocity. Theoretical results for critical wavenumber favourably compare with experiments, systematically underestimating their experimental counterparts by 10 % at most. The discrepancy between experiments and theory is more relevant for the critical Rayleigh number, with theory overestimating the experiments by a maximum factor less than two. Discrepancies are attributable to a combination of factors: nonlinear phenomena, possible subcritical bifurcations, and unaccounted-for disturbing effects such as approximations in the rheological model, wall slip, ageing and degradation of the fluid properties.

Over the past two decades several attempts have been made to formulate constitutive models for slow granular flow to remedy the deficiencies of classical plasticity. All the proposed models assume the medium to be incompressible, though it is well known that density change accompanies deformation in granular materials. A particularly important aspect of density change that is distinctive of granular materials is dilatancy, or volume deformation caused by shear deformation. No constitutive model for sustained flow has thus far captured dilatancy. Here we present a non-local constitutive model wherein the deformation rate and density at a point depend on the state of stress in a mesoscopic region around it. Apart from incorporating dilatancy, our model has a physical origin that is distinct from that of the previously proposed non-local models. We test our model on simple shear flow in the absence and presence of gravity, and find its predictions to be in good agreement with particle dynamics simulations.

A new methodology to construct three-dimensional, temporally stationary but spatially inhomogeneous, incompressible turbulence is presented. The method combines use of the data-driven spectral proper orthogonal decomposition (SPOD) to identify and isolate large-scale coherent motions of the flow, together with a physics-based enrichment algorithm using spatiotemporally localized Gabor modes that capture the inertial subrange turbulence. This fusion of data-driven and physics-based methods enables a statistically correct reconstruction of broadband turbulent flows using fewer modes than would be required using SPOD alone. To demonstrate the approach, we consider the problem of reconstructing wake turbulence on a plane downstream of a dragging actuator disk impinged by homogeneous isotropic turbulence. The reconstructed flow has single- and two-point correlations that are consistent with the reference high-resolution simulation data and could be used to generate statistically consistent inflow boundary conditions for subsequent simulations.

Recognizing the fact that the finite-time singularity of the Navier–Stokes equations is widely accepted as a key issue in fundamental fluid mechanics, and motivated by the recent model of Moffatt & Kimura (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 861, 2019a, pp. 930–967; J. Fluid Mech., vol. 870, 2019b, R1) on this issue, we have performed direct numerical simulation (DNS) for two colliding slender vortex rings of radius $R$. The separation between the two tipping points $2s_{0}$ and the scale of the core cross-section $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}_{0}$ are chosen as $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FF}_{0}=0.1s_{0}=0.01R$; the vortex Reynolds number ($Re=\text{circulation/viscosity}$) ranges from 1000 to 4000. In contrast to the claim that the core remains compact and circular, there is notable core flattening and stripping, which further increases with $Re$ – akin to our previous finding in the standard anti-parallel vortex reconnection. Furthermore, the induced motion of bridges arrests the curvature growth and vortex stretching at the tipping points; consequently, the maximum vorticity grows with $Re$ substantially slower than the exponential scaling predicted by the model – implying that, for this configuration, even physical singularity is unlikely. Our simulations not only shed light on the longstanding question of finite-time singularities, but also further delineate the detailed mechanisms of reconnection. In particular, we show for the first time that the separation distance $s(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70F})$ before reconnection follows 1/2 scaling exactly – a significant DNS result.

Since the introduction of the logarithmic law of the wall more than 80 years ago, the equation for the mean velocity profile in turbulent boundary layers has been widely applied to model near-surface processes and parameterize surface drag. Yet the hypothetical turbulent eddies proposed in the original logarithmic law derivation and mixing length theory of Prandtl have never been conclusively linked to physical features in the flow. Here, we present evidence that suggests these eddies correspond to regions of coherent streamwise momentum known as uniform momentum zones (UMZs). The arrangement of UMZs results in a step-like shape for the instantaneous velocity profile, and the smooth mean profile results from the average UMZ properties, which are shown to scale with the friction velocity and wall-normal distance in the logarithmic region. These findings are confirmed across a wide range of Reynolds number and surface roughness conditions from the laboratory scale to the atmospheric surface layer.

Here we provide a theoretical framework revealing that the radius $R_{d}$ of the top droplet ejected from a bursting bubble of radius $R_{b}$ and $Bo\leqslant 0.05$ can be expressed as $R_{d}/R_{b}=K_{b}(1-(Oh/Oh_{c}^{\prime })^{1/2})$ for $Oh\lesssim Oh_{c}^{\prime }$ or as $R_{d}\approx 18\,\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}_{l}^{2}/(\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{l}\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E})$ for $Oh\gtrsim Oh_{c}^{\prime }$, with the numerically fitted constants $K_{b}\approx 0.2$, $Oh_{c}^{\prime }\approx 0.03$, $Oh=\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}_{l}/\sqrt{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{l}\,R_{b}\,\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}}\ll 1$ the Ohnesorge number, $Bo=\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{l}\,g\,R_{b}^{2}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}$ the Bond number, and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}_{l}$, $\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}_{l}$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}$ indicating the liquid density, dynamic viscosity and interfacial tension coefficient, respectively. These predictions, which do not only have solid theoretical roots but are also much more accurate than the usual 10 % rule used in the context of marine spray generation via whitecaps for $R_{b}\lesssim 1$ mm, agree very well with both experimental data and numerical simulations for the values of $Oh$ and $Bo$ investigated. Moreover, making use of a criterion which reveals the mechanism that controls the growth rate of capillary instabilities, we also explain here why no droplets are ejected from the tip of the fast Worthington jet for $Oh\gtrsim 0.04$. In addition, our results predict the generation of submicron-sized aerosol particles with diameters below 100 nm and velocities ${\sim}\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D707}_{l}$ for bubble radii $10~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}\lesssim R_{b}\lesssim 20~\unicode[STIX]{x03BC}\text{m}$, within the range found in natural conditions and in good agreement with experiments – a fact suggesting that our study could be applied in the modelling of sea spray aerosol production.

We investigate the stability of katabatic slope flows over an infinitely wide and uniformly cooled planar surface subject to a downslope uniform ambient wind aloft. We adopt an extension of Prandtl’s original model for slope flows (Lykosov & Gutman, Izv. Acad. Sci. USSR Atmos. Ocean. Phys., vol. 8 (8), 1972, pp. 799–809) to derive the base flow, which constitutes an interesting basic state in stability analysis because it cannot be reduced to a single universal form independent of external parameters. We apply a linear modal analysis to this basic state to demonstrate that for a fixed Prandtl number and slope angle, two independent dimensionless parameters are sufficient to describe the flow stability. One of these parameters is the stratification perturbation number that we have introduced in Xiao & Senocak (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 865, 2019, R2). The second parameter, which we will henceforth designate the wind forcing number, is hitherto uncharted and can be interpreted as the ratio of the kinetic energy of the ambient wind aloft to the damping due to viscosity and the stabilising effect of the background stratification. For a fixed Prandtl number, stationary transverse and travelling longitudinal modes of instabilities can emerge, depending on the value of the slope angle and the aforementioned dimensionless numbers. The influence of ambient wind forcing on the base flow’s stability is complicated, as the ambient wind can be both stabilising as well as destabilising for a certain range of the parameters. Our results constitute a strong counterevidence against the current practice of relying solely on the gradient Richardson number to describe the dynamic stability of stratified atmospheric slope flows.

The interaction of a shock wave and a water droplet embedded with a vapour cavity is experimentally investigated in a shock tube for the first time. The vapour cavity inside the droplet is generated by decreasing the surrounding pressure to the saturation pressure, and an equilibrium between the liquid phase and the gas phase is obtained inside the droplet. Direct high-speed photography is adopted to capture the evolution of both the droplet and the vapour cavity. The formation of a transverse jet inside the droplet during the cavity-collapse stage is clearly observed. Soon afterwards, at the downstream pole of the droplet, a water jet penetrating into the surrounding air is observed during the cavity-expansion stage. The evolution of the droplet is strongly influenced by the evolution of the vapour cavity. The phase change process plays an important role in vapour cavity evolution. The effects of the relative size and eccentricity of the cavity on the movement and deformation of the droplet are presented quantitatively.

Turbulent flow over a surface with streamwise-elongated rough and smooth stripes is studied by means of direct numerical simulation (DNS) in a periodic plane open channel with fully resolved roughness. The goal is to understand how the mean height of roughness affects the characteristics of the secondary flow formed above a spanwise heterogeneous rough surface. To this end, while the statistical properties of roughness texture as well as the width and spacing of the rough stripes are kept constant, the elevation of the smooth stripes is systematically varied in different simulation cases. Utilizing this variation, three configurations – representing protruding, recessed and an intermediate type of roughness – are analysed. In all cases, secondary flows are present and the skin friction coefficients calculated for all the heterogeneous rough surfaces are meaningfully larger than what would result from the area-weighted average of those of homogeneous smooth and rough surfaces. This drag increase appears to be linked to the strength of the secondary flow. The rotational direction of the secondary motion is shown to depend on the relative surface elevation. The present results suggest that this rearrangement of the secondary flow is linked to the spatial distribution of the spanwise-wall-normal Reynolds stress component, which carries opposing signs for protruding and recessed roughness.

We prove a new rigorous upper bound on the vertical heat transport for Bénard–Marangoni  convection of a two- or three-dimensional fluid layer with infinite Prandtl number. Precisely, for Marangoni number $Ma\gg 1$ the Nusselt number $Nu$ is bounded asymptotically by $Nu\leqslant \text{const.}\times Ma^{2/7}(\ln Ma)^{-1/7}$. Key to our proof are a background temperature field with a hyperbolic profile near the fluid’s surface and new estimates for the coupling between temperature and vertical velocity.

We consider the size spectrum of entrained bubbles under strong free-surface turbulence (SFST). We investigate the entrainment bubble-size spectrum per unit (mean) interface area, ${\mathcal{N}}_{a}^{E}(r)$, with dimension length$^{-3}$, and develop a physical/mechanistic model for ${\mathcal{N}}_{a}^{E}(r)$ through energy arguments. The model obtains two distinct regimes of ${\mathcal{N}}_{a}^{E}(r)$, separated by bubble-size scale $r_{0}$. For bubble radius $r>r_{0}$, the effects of gravity $g$ dominate those of the surface tension force $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}$, and ${\mathcal{N}}_{a}^{E}(r)\propto g^{-1}\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}^{2/3}r^{-10/3}$, where $\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}$ is the turbulence dissipation rate. For $r<r_{0}$, surface tension is more important and ${\mathcal{N}}_{a}^{E}(r)\propto (\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C})^{-1}\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}^{2/3}r^{-4/3}$. From the model, we show that $r_{0}\approx r_{c}=1/2\sqrt{\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}g}$, the capillary length scale, and not the generally assumed Hinze scale $r_{H}$. For an air–water interface and Earth gravity, $r_{c}\approx$ 1.5 mm. The model provides an $\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}$–$r$ entrainment regime map that identifies a critical dissipation rate $\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}_{cr}$ (constant for given $g$ and $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}/\unicode[STIX]{x1D70C}$) above which there is appreciable air entrainment, thus separating SFST and weak FST. We confirm the theoretical model and its predictions using two-phase, high-fidelity direct numerical simulations of a canonical FST flow using the conservative volume-of-fluid method: the respective power laws of ${\mathcal{N}}_{a}^{E}(r)\propto r^{-10/3}$ and $r^{-4/3}$ for $r>r_{0}$ and $r<r_{0}$; the value $r_{0}=r_{c}$; the scaling ${\mathcal{N}}_{a}^{E}(r)\propto \unicode[STIX]{x1D716}^{2/3}$; and the predictions of the $\unicode[STIX]{x1D716}$–$r$ entrainment regime map.

High-resolution direct numerical simulations (DNS) were carried out to investigate the nonlinear breakdown process of a three-dimensional wave packet initiated by a short-duration pulse in a flared cone boundary layer at Mach 6 and zero angle of attack. For these simulations the cone geometry of the flared cone experiments conducted in the Boeing/AFOSR Mach 6 Quiet Tunnel (BAM6QT) at Purdue University was considered. The computational domain covered a large extent of the cone in the azimuthal direction to allow for a wide range of azimuthal wavenumbers ($k_{c}$) and to include shallow instability waves with small azimuthal wavenumbers. The simulation results indicated that the wave packet development was dominated by axisymmetric and shallow (small $k_{c}$) second-mode waves for a large downstream extent. Towards the downstream end of the computational domain a rapid broadening of the disturbance amplitude spectra was observed, which is an indication that the wave packet reached the strongly nonlinear stages. The disturbance spectra of the nonlinear regime, and the downstream amplitude development of the dominant disturbance wave components, provided conclusive evidence that the so-called fundamental breakdown was the dominant nonlinear mechanism. Furthermore, contours of the time-averaged Stanton number exhibited ‘hot’ streaks within the wave packet on the surface of the cone. Hot streaks have also been observed in the Purdue flared cone experiments using temperature sensitive paint (TSP) and in numerical investigations using DNS. The azimuthal streak spacing obtained from the wave packet simulation agrees well with that observed in the Purdue quiet tunnel experiments.

Resolvent analysis is performed to identify the origin of two-dimensional transonic buffet over an airfoil. The base flow for the resolvent analysis is the time-averaged flow over a NACA 0012 airfoil at a chord-based Reynolds number of 2000 and a free-stream Mach number of 0.85. We reveal that the mechanism of buffet is buried underneath the global low-Reynolds-number flow physics. At this low Reynolds number, the dominant flow feature is the von Kármán shedding. However, we show that with the appropriate forcing input, buffet can appear even at a Reynolds number that is much lower than what is traditionally associated with transonic buffet. The source of buffet is identified to be at the shock foot from the windowed resolvent analysis, which is validated by companion simulations using sustained forcing inputs based on resolvent modes. We also comment on the role of perturbations in the vicinity of the trailing edge. The present study not only provides insights on the origin of buffet but also serves a building block for low-Reynolds-number compressible aerodynamics in light of the growing interests in Martian flights.

The Richtmyer–Meshkov instability of a helium layer surrounded by air is studied in a semi-annular convergent shock tube by high-speed schlieren photography. The gas layer is generated by an improved soap film technique such that its boundary shapes and thickness are precisely controlled. It is observed that the inner interface of the shocked light gas layer remains nearly undisturbed during the experimental time, even after the reshock, which is distinct from its counterpart in the heavy gas layer. This can be ascribed to the faster decay of the perturbation amplitude of the transmitted shock in the helium layer and Rayleigh–Taylor stabilization on the inner surface (light/heavy) during flow deceleration. The outer interface first experiences ‘accelerated’ phase inversion owing to geometric convergence, and later suffers a continuous deformation. Compared with a sole heavy/light interface, the wave influence (interface coupling) inhibits (promotes) growth of instability of the outer interface.

Experimental and numerical studies over the past two decades indicate that as the Reynolds number becomes large the turbulent boundary layer is increasingly composed of zones of uniform streamwise momentum, segregated by narrow regions of high shear. Recent experimental evidence suggests that passive scalar fields (for example, temperature) in turbulent boundary layers at high Reynolds number show similar characteristics; namely, large uniform temperature zones (UTZs) separated by narrow regions of high gradient, which we term thermal fissures (TFs). Herein, a model informed by analysis of the mean scalar transport equation, and that leverages the dynamical model recently developed by the authors (Cuevas Bautista et al., J. Fluid Mech., vol. 858, 2019, pp. 609–633), is formulated to predict passive scalar transport using the UTZ/TF concept. First, a finite number of TFs are distributed across the boundary layer. In analogy with the aforementioned dynamical model, the wall-normal positions of the TFs and their characteristic temperatures are then perturbed to generate independent ensembles, from which statistical moments are computed. The model successfully reproduces the statistical profiles of the temperature field as well as the streamwise turbulent heat flux. Lastly, the Prandtl number dependency of the empirically chosen parameters is investigated. It is concluded that the higher-order statistics, especially the kurtosis, produced by the model are sensitive to the Prandtl number, while the mean temperature and turbulent heat flux do not show noticeable Prandtl number dependency.

We present a direct numerical simulation (DNS) study of pseudo-turbulence in buoyancy-driven bubbly flows for a range of Reynolds ($150\leqslant Re\leqslant 546$) and Atwood ($0.04\leqslant At\leqslant 0.9$) numbers. We study the probability distribution function of the horizontal and vertical liquid velocity fluctuations and find them to be in quantitative agreement with the experiments. The energy spectrum shows a $k^{-3}$ scaling at high $Re$ and becomes steeper on reducing $Re$. To investigate spectral transfers in the flow, we derive the scale-by-scale energy budget equation. Our analysis shows that, for scales smaller than the bubble diameter, the net transfer because of the surface tension and the kinetic energy flux balances viscous dissipation to give $k^{-3}$ scaling of the energy spectrum for both low and high $At$.