Title: Scaling of an Atmospheric Model to Simulate Turbulence and Cloud Microphysics in the Pi Chamber

Abstract

The Pi Cloud Chamber offers a unique opportunity to study aerosol-cloud microphysics interactions in a steady-state, turbulent environment. In this work, an atmospheric large-eddy simulation (LES) model with spectral bin microphysics is scaled down to simulate these interactions, allowing comparison with experimental results. A simple scalar flux budget model is developed and used to explore the effect of sidewalls on the bulk mixing temperature, water vapor mixing ratio, and supersaturation. The scaled simulation and the simple scalar flux budget model produce comparable bulk mixing scalar values. The LES dynamics results are compared with particle image velocimetry measurements of turbulent kinetic energy, energy dissipation rates, and large-scale oscillation frequencies from the cloud chamber. These simulated results match quantitatively to experimental results. Finally, with the bin microphysics included the LES is able to simulate steady-state cloud conditions and broadening of the cloud droplet size distributions with decreasing droplet number concentration, as observed in the experiments. The results further suggest that collision-coalescence does not contribute significantly to this broadening. This opens a path for further detailed intercomparison of laboratory and simulation results for model validation and exploration of specific physical processes.

Authors:

Thomas, Subin  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Thomas, Subin"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0003-0830-6752"

Ovchinnikov, Mikhail  ^[2];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Ovchinnikov, Mikhail"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-7939-1299"

Yang, Fan  ^[3];

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• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0001-8866-6664"

van der Voort, Dennis ^[1]; Cantrell, Will  ^[1];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Cantrell, Will"
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0001-9227-8701"

Krueger, Steven K.  ^[4];

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Krueger, Steven K."
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0002-3449-9351"

Shaw, Raymond A.  ^[1]

• Search DOE PAGES for author "Shaw, Raymond A."
• Search DOE PAGES for ORCID "0000-0003-0390-2424"

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+ Show Author Affiliations

1. Michigan Technological University Houghton MI USA
2. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory Richland WA USA
3. Brookhaven National Laboratory Upton NY USA
4. University of Utah Salt Lake City UT USA

Publication Date:

Tue Jul 02 00:00:00 EDT 2019

Research Org.:

Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), Upton, NY (United States); Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

Sponsoring Org.:

USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER); National Science Foundation (NSF)

OSTI Identifier:

1560175

Alternate Identifier(s):

OSTI ID: 1560177; OSTI ID: 1561247; OSTI ID: 1572498

Report Number(s):

BNL-212056-2019-JAAM; PNNL-SA-142731
Journal ID: ISSN 1942-2466

Grant/Contract Number:  

AC05-76RLO1830; SC0012704; AC05-76RL01830

Resource Type:

Published Article

Journal Name:

Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems

Additional Journal Information:

Journal Name: Journal of Advances in Modeling Earth Systems Journal Volume: 11 Journal Issue: 7; Journal ID: ISSN 1942-2466

Publisher:

American Geophysical Union (AGU)

Country of Publication:

United States

Language:

English

Subject:

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES