A note concerning the Lighthill "sandwich model" of tropical cyclones.

The basic element of Lighthill's "sandwich model" of tropical cyclones is the existence of "ocean spray," a layer intermediate between air and sea made up of a cloud of droplets that can be viewed as a "third fluid." We propose a mathematical model of the flow in the ocean spray based on a semiempirical turbulence theory and demonstrate that the availability of the ocean spray over the waves in the ocean can explain the tremendous acceleration of the wind as a consequence of the reduction of the turbulence intensity by droplets. This explanation complements the thermodynamic arguments proposed by Lighthill.

The turbulent wall jet: a triple-layered structure and incomplete similarity.

We demonstrate using the high-quality experimental data that turbulent wall jet flows consist of two self-similar layers: a top layer and a wall layer, separated by a mixing layer where the velocity is close to maximum. The top and wall layers are significantly different from each other, and both exhibit incomplete similarity, i.e., a strong influence of the width of the slot that had previously been neglected.

A model of a turbulent boundary layer with a nonzero pressure gradient.

According to a model of the turbulent boundary layer that we propose, in the absence of external turbulence the intermediate region between the viscous sublayer and the external flow consists of two sharply separated self-similar structures. The velocity distribution in these structures is described by two different scaling laws. The mean velocity u in the region adjacent to the viscous sublayer is described by the previously obtained Reynolds-number-dependent scaling law Φ = u / u(*) = Aη(α), A = 1/√3 In ReΛ + 5/2, α = 3/2 in ReΛ Î· = u(*)y/v. (Here u(*) is the dynamic or friction velocity, y is the distance from the wall, ν the kinetic viscosity of the fluid, and the Reynolds number ReΛ is well defined by the data.) In the region adjacent to the external flow, the scaling law is different: Φ = Bη(ß). The power ß for zero-pressure-gradient boundary layers was found by processing various experimental data and is close (with some scatter) to 0.2. We show here that for nonzero-pressure-gradient boundary layers, the power ß is larger than 0.2 in the case of an adverse pressure gradient and less than 0.2 for a favorable pressure gradient. Similarity analysis suggests that both the coefficient Β and the power ß depend on ReΛ and on a new dimensionless parameter P proportional to the pressure gradient. Recent experimental data of Perry, Marusic, and Jones were analyzed, and the results are in agreement with the model we propose.

Characteristic length scale of the intermediate structure in zero-pressure-gradient boundary layer flow.

In a turbulent boundary layer over a smooth flat plate with zero pressure gradient, the intermediate structure between the viscous sublayer and the free stream consists of two layers: one adjacent to the viscous sublayer and one adjacent to the free stream. When the level of turbulence in the free stream is low, the boundary between the two layers is sharp, and both have a self-similar structure described by Reynolds-number-dependent scaling (power) laws. This structure introduces two length scales: one-the wall-region thickness-determined by the sharp boundary between the two intermediate layers and the second determined by the condition that the velocity distribution in the first intermediate layer be the one common to all wall-bounded flows and in particular coincide with the scaling law previously determined for pipe flows. Using recent experimental data, we determine both these length scales and show that they are close. Our results disagree with the classical model of the "wake region."

Optimal prediction and the Mori-Zwanzig representation of irreversible processes.

Optimal prediction methods compensate for a lack of resolution in the numerical solution of complex problems through the use of prior statistical information. We point out a relation between optimal prediction and the statistical mechanics of irreversible processes, and use a version of the Mori-Zwanzig formalism to produce a higher-order optimal prediction method.

Optimal prediction of underresolved dynamics.

A method is presented for computing the average solution of problems that are too complicated for adequate resolution, but where information about the statistics of the solution is available. The method involves computing average derivatives by interpolation based on linear regression, and an updating of a measure constrained by the available crude information. Examples are given.

Structure of the zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer.

A processing of recent experimental data by Nagib and Hites [Nagib, H. & Hites, M. (1995) AIAA paper 95-0786, Reno, NV) shows that the flow in a zero-pressure-gradient turbulent boundary layer, outside the viscous sublayer, consists of two self-similar regions, each described by a scaling law. The results concerning the Reynolds-number dependence of the coefficients of the wall-region scaling law are consistent with our previous results concerning pipe flow, if the proper definition of the boundary layer Reynolds number (or boundary layer thickness) is used.

Scaling laws for fully developed turbulent flow in pipes: discussion of experimental data.

We compare mean velocity profiles measured in turbulent pipe flows (and also in boundary layer flows) with the predictions of a recently proposed scaling law; in particular, we examine the results of the Princeton "super-pipe" experiment and assess their range of validity.

The influence of the flow of the reacting gas on the conditions for a thermal explosion.

The classical problem of thermal explosion is modified so that the chemically active gas is not at rest but is flowing in a long cylindrical pipe. Up to a certain section the heat-conducting walls of the pipe are held at low temperature so that the reaction rate is small and there is no heat release; at that section the ambient temperature is increased and an exothermic reaction begins. The question is whether a slow reaction regime will be established or a thermal explosion will occur. The mathematical formulation of the problem is presented. It is shown that when the pipe radius is larger than a critical value, the solution of the new problem exists only up to a certain distance along the axis. The critical radius is determined by conditions in a problem with a uniform axial temperature. The loss of existence is interpreted as a thermal explosion; the critical distance is the safe reactor's length. Both laminar and developed turbulent flow regimes are considered. In a computational experiment the loss of the existence appears as a divergence of a numerical procedure; numerical calculations reveal asymptotic scaling laws with simple powers for the critical distance.

Small viscosity asymptotics for the inertial range of local structure and for the wall region of wall-bounded turbulent shear flow.

The small viscosity asymptotics of the inertial range of local structure and of the wall region in wallbounded turbulent shear flow are compared. The comparison leads to a sharpening of the dichotomy between Reynolds number dependent scaling (power-type) laws and the universal Reynolds number independent logarithmic law in wall turbulence. It further leads to a quantitative prediction of an essential difference between them, which is confirmed by the results of a recent experimental investigation. These results lend support to recent work on the zero viscosity limit of the inertial range in turbulence.

Numerical vorticity creation based on impulse conservation.

The problem of creating solenoidal vortex elements to satisfy no-slip boundary conditions in Lagrangian numerical vortex methods is solved through the use of impulse elements at walls and their subsequent conversion to vortex loops. The algorithm is not uniquely defined, due to the gauge freedom in the definition of impulse; the numerically optimal choice of gauge remains to be determined. Two different choices are discussed, and an application to flow past a sphere is sketched.