About Universality and Thermodynamics of Turbulence.

This paper investigates the universality of the Eulerian velocity structure functions using velocity fields obtained from the stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (SPIV) technique in experiments and direct numerical simulations (DNS) of the Navier-Stokes equations. It shows that the numerical and experimental velocity structure functions up to order 9 follow a log-universality (Castaing et al. Phys. D Nonlinear Phenom. 1993); this leads to a collapse on a universal curve, when units including a logarithmic dependence on the Reynolds number are used. This paper then investigates the meaning and consequences of such log-universality, and shows that it is connected with the properties of a "multifractal free energy", based on an analogy between multifractal and thermodynamics. It shows that in such a framework, the existence of a fluctuating dissipation scale is associated with a phase transition describing the relaminarisation of rough velocity fields with different Hölder exponents. Such a phase transition has been already observed using the Lagrangian velocity structure functions, but was so far believed to be out of reach for the Eulerian data.

Abrupt growth of large aggregates by correlated coalescences in turbulent flow.

Smoluchowski's coagulation kinetics is here shown to fail when the coalescing species are dilute and transported by a turbulent flow. The intermittent Lagrangian motion involves correlated violent events that lead to an unexpected rapid occurrence of the largest particles. This new phenomena is here quantified in terms of the anomalous scaling of turbulent three-point motion, leading to significant corrections in macroscopic processes that are critically sensitive to the early-stage emergence of large embryonic aggregates, as in planet formation or rain precipitation.

Clustering of charged inertial particles in turbulence.

Holographic measurements of the clustering of electrically charged, inertial particles in homogenous and isotropic turbulent flow reveal novel particle dynamics. When particles are identically charged, Coulomb repulsion introduces a length scale below which inertial clustering is suppressed such that the radial distribution function (RDF) mimics that of a nonideal gas. The result is described with a Fokker-Planck framework modeling inertial clustering as a diffusion-drift process modified to include Coulomb interaction. The peak in the RDF is well predicted by the balance between the particle terminal velocity under Coulomb repulsion and a time-averaged "drift" velocity obtained from the nonuniform sampling of fluid strain and rotation due to finite particle inertia. The resulting functional form of the RDF matches the measurements closely, providing support for the drift-diffusion description of particle clustering.

Inertial clustering of particles in high-Reynolds-number turbulence.

We report experimental evidence of spatial clustering of dense particles in homogenous, isotropic turbulence at high Reynolds numbers. The dissipation-scale clustering becomes stronger as the Stokes number increases and is found to exhibit similarity with respect to the droplet Stokes number over a range of experimental conditions (particle diameter and turbulent energy dissipation rate). These findings are in qualitative agreement with recent theoretical and computational studies of inertial particle clustering in turbulence. Because of the large Reynolds numbers a broad scaling range of particle clustering due to turbulent mixing is present, and the inertial clustering can clearly be distinguished from that due to mixing of fluid particles.

Airborne digital holographic system for cloud particle measurements.

An in-line holographic system for in situ detection of atmospheric cloud particles [Holographic Detector for Clouds (HOLODEC)] has been developed and flown on the National Center for Atmospheric Research C-130 research aircraft. Clear holograms are obtained in daylight conditions at typical aircraft speeds of 100 m s(-1). The instrument is fully digital and is interfaced to a control and data-acquisition system in the aircraft via optical fiber. It is operable at temperatures of less than -30 degrees C and at typical cloud humidities. Preliminary data from the experiment show its utility for studies of the three-dimensional spatial distribution of cloud particles and ice crystal shapes.