Large-scale anisotropy in stably stratified rotating flows

Marino, R.; Mininni, P. D.; Rosenberg, D. L.; Pouquet, A.

doi:10.1103/PhysRevE.90.023018

Large-scale anisotropy in stably stratified rotating flows

Journal Article · Thu Aug 28 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.90.023018· OSTI ID:1159997

Marino, R. ^[1]; Mininni, P. D. ^[2]; Rosenberg, D. L. ^[3]; Pouquet, A. ^[4]

National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO (United States); Inst. for Chemical-Physical Processes, Rende (Italy); Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Space Sciences Lab.
Univ. of Buenos Aires (Argentina)
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). National Center for Computational Sciences,
Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States). Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics

We present results from direct numerical simulations of the Boussinesq equations in the presence of rotation and/or stratification, both in the vertical direction. The runs are forced isotropically and randomly at small scales and have spatial resolutions of up to $1024^3$ grid points and Reynolds numbers of $$\approx 1000$$. We first show that solutions with negative energy flux and inverse cascades develop in rotating turbulence, whether or not stratification is present. However, the purely stratified case is characterized instead by an early-time, highly anisotropic transfer to large scales with almost zero net isotropic energy flux. This is consistent with previous studies that observed the development of vertically sheared horizontal winds, although only at substantially later times. However, and unlike previous works, when sufficient scale separation is allowed between the forcing scale and the domain size, the total energy displays a perpendicular (horizontal) spectrum with power law behavior compatible with $$\sim k_\perp^{-5/3}$$, including in the absence of rotation. In this latter purely stratified case, such a spectrum is the result of a direct cascade of the energy contained in the large-scale horizontal wind, as is evidenced by a strong positive flux of energy in the parallel direction at all scales including the largest resolved scales.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility (OLCF)

Sponsoring Organization:: DOE Office of Science; USDOE

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725

OSTI ID:: 1159997

Journal Information:: Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics, Journal Name: Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics Journal Issue: 2 Vol. 90; ISSN 1539-3755; ISSN PLEEE8

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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