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At least 289 records · Page 16

A shock capturing technique for hypersonic, chemically relaxing flows

A fully coupled, shock capturing technique is presented for chemically reacting flows at high Mach numbers. The technique makes use of a total variation diminishing (TVD) dissipation operator which results in sharp, crisp shocks. The eigenvalues and eigenvectors of the fully coupled system, which includes species conversion equations in addition to the gas dynamics equations, are analytically derived for a general reacting gas. Species production terms for a model dissociating gas are introduced and are included in the algorithm. The convective terms are solved using a first-order TVD scheme while the source terms are solved using a fourth-order Runge-Kutta scheme to enhance stability. Results from one-dimensional numerical experiments are shown for a two species and a three species gas.

Eberhardt, S.↗

A new perspective on solar active regions

A flood of new observations of the solar corona have been made with high spatial resolution, good temporal coverage and resolution, and large linear dynamic range by the Soft X-ray Telescope (SXT) on Yohkoh. These data are changing our fundamental understanding of how solar magnetic fields emerge, interact, and dissipate. This paper reviews some of the results from Yohkoh in the context of earlier results from the Solar Maximum Mission (SMM) and in comjunction with ground-based optical and radio observations.

Strong, K. T.↗

The Lower Thermospheric Winter-To-Summer Meridional Circulation: 1: Driving Mechanism

In this study, the mechanism driving the narrow lower-thermospheric winter-to-summer meridional circulation is thoroughly investigated for the first time using the Specified Dynamics configuration runs of the Whole Atmosphere Community Climate Model eXtended (SD-WACCMX) simulations and the TIMED Doppler Interferometer (TIDI) observations. The mean meridional circulation in the SD-WACCMX is qualitatively consistent with the TIDI measurements, though the magnitude in the SD-WACCMX is about 50% weaker. The lower-thermospheric winter-to-summer circulation is mainly driven by the resolved wave forcing, including the tides and internally generated inertia gravity waves (GWs). The momentum forcing from the parameterized sub-grid scale GWs is not as significant as the resolved wave forcing in driving the lower-thermospheric meridional circulation. The GW parameterization scheme in the SD-WACCMX only includes GWs with phase velocities in the range of ±45 m/s, which might result in most of the parameterized sub-grid GWs dissipating and breaking in the mesosphere and hardly impacting the lower thermosphere. Only including slow GWs in the SD-WACCMX parameterization could potentially lead to the underestimation of the meridional wind in the model. Analysis also indicates the lower-thermospheric meridional circulation is stronger in the summer hemisphere, which is attributed to the hemispheric asymmetry in the resolved wave momentum forcing. This study underlines the importance of the whole atmosphere coupling through wave propagation and dissipation. This understanding can guide the model development with an accurate representation of underlying physical processes in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere which drives the lower-thermospheric circulation as well as the overall dynamics of this region.

Jack C. Wang↗

Plasma sheet turbulence observed by Cluster II

Cluster fluxgate magnetometer (FGM) and ion spectrometer (CIS) data are employed to analyze magnetic field fluctuations within the plasma sheet during passages through the magnetotail region in the summers of 2001 and 2002 and, in particular, to look for characteristics of magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence. Power spectral indices determined from power spectral density functions are on average larger than Kolmogorov's theoretical value for fluid turbulence as well as Kraichnan's theoretical value for MHD plasma turbulence. Probability distribution functions of the magnetic fluctuations show a scaling law over a large range of temporal scales with non-Gaussian distributions at small dissipative scales and inertial scales and more Gaussian distribution at large driving scales. Furthermore, a multifractal analysis of the magnetic field components shows scaling behavior in the inertial range of the fluctuations from about 20 s to 13 min for moments through the fifth order. Both the scaling behavior of the probability distribution functions and the multifractal structure function suggest that intermittent turbulence is present within the plasma sheet. The unique multispacecraft aspect and fortuitous spacecraft spacing allow us to examine the turbulent eddy scale sizes. Dynamic autocorrelation and cross correlation analysis of the magnetic field components allow us to determine that eddy scale sizes fit within the plasma sheet. These results suggest that magnetic field turbulence is occurring within the plasma sheet resulting in turbulent energy dissipation.

Weygand, James M.↗

Acoustic-gravity waves in the upper atmosphere

In this paper we review the theory of acoustic-gravity waves, the interaction of such waves with the ionosphere, the experimental support for the existence of such waves in the upper atmosphere, and the role played by acoustic-gravity waves in thermospheric dynamics. After a thorough discussion on the properties of acoustic-gravity waves in an ideal isothermal atmosphere, the effects produced by horizontal winds, sharp boundary discontinuities, and dissipative processes are discussed. The generation of these waves by stationary or moving sources is then treated. It is shown that the atmospheric response to a stationary impulse source can be described by the emission of three waves: acoustic, buoyancy, and gravity. These discussions are then followed by reviewing propagation effects in a realistic atmosphere for both free waves and guided waves. Recent numerical results are given. When acoustic-gravity waves propagate through the ionosphere, interaction between the wave and the ionosphere will take place. The physical processes involved in such an interaction are examined.

Yeh, K. C.↗

A viscoplastic theory applied to copper

A phenomenologically based viscoplastic model is derived for copper. The model is thermodynamically constrained by the condition of material dissipativity. Two internal state variables are considered. The back stress accounts for strain-induced anisotropy, or kinematic hardening. The drag stress accounts for isotropic hardening. Static and dynamic recovery terms are not coupled in either evolutionary equation. The evolution of drag stress depends on static recovery, while the evolution of back stress depends on dynamic recovery. The material constants are determined from isothermal data. Model predictions are compared with experimental data for thermomechanical test conditions. They are in good agreement at the hot end of the loading cycle, but the model overpredicts the stress response at the cold end of the cycle.

Freed, Alan D.↗

Numerical simulations using a dynamic solution-adaptive grid algorithm, with applications to unsteady internal flows

An investigation into the numerical simulation of unsteady flows is undertaken using a two-stage Runge-Kutta scheme coupled with the dynamic solution-adaptive grid algorithm developed by the authors. The inviscid fluxes are described by a modified Advective Upwind Split Method to eliminate the need for artificial dissipation. A well-documented numerical example containing moving discontinuities is presented that demonstrates the ability of the coupled grid/solver scheme to accurately capture unsteady flowfield phenomena. Applications are to a typical inlet diffuser configuration at Mach 3.0 with excessive back pressure inducing inlet unstart.

Benson, Rusty A.↗

Time-accurate simulation of a self-excited oscillatory supersonic external flow with a multi-block solution-adaptive mesh algorithm

Results are presented of an investigation of the time-accurate simulation of supersonic unsteady flow oscillations over spike-tipped bodies using the multistage Runge-Kutta scheme coupled with a dynamic solution-adaptive grid algorithm modified for multiblock capabilities. The inviscid fluxes are described by a modified advective upwind split method to obviate the need for artificial dissipation. If a time-varying, solution-adaptive mesh algorithm is incorporated, resolution of the details of the unsteady spike-tipped body flow is improved. The adaptive algorithm is also shown to resolve multiple and diverse features of the flow simultaneously, with the adapted regions in the mesh convecting with these features as they translate.

Ingram, Clint L.↗

Lessons Learned from the Stardust Sample Return Mission

These are science and mission design and operations lessons learned from the Stardust Mission, which returned grains from comet Wild-2 and fresh interstellar dust to Earth in 2006 [1]. Science Lessons: Major discoveries of the Stardust Wild-2 samples include the presence of numerous chondrules and CAI in a comet, which requires a much more dynamic early solar system than many had envisaged, and verified predictions made by models requiring outward flow of early solar system solids before the early nebular gas had dissipated [1-3]. No evidence has been found for the presence of live Al-26 in the comet, suggesting late accretion [4]. Carbonates and unusual sulfides were found which potentially require activity of liquid water within the comet, but to only a minor degree at best [5-6]. The presence of abundant thermally-metamorphosed silicates in Wild-2 appears to require assembly from an earlier generation of bodies [7]. The abundance of presolar grains in the Wild-2 samples appears to be below what has been found in most chondritic IDPs and primitive chondrites [1]. The bulk mineralogy of Wild-2 grains does not match the mineralogy from any single other known astromaterial [7], and is also strikingly unlike that inferred from Spitzer Telescope spectra of Comet Temple 1 dust [8]. Amino acids and other fragile organics have been detected among the Wild-2 samples [9], which highlights the critical importance of further developing techniques for organic analysis in small samples, and cleaning outbound spacecraft.

Zolensky, M. E.↗

Multi-Scale Modeling of Magnetospheric Reconnection

One of the major challenges in modeling the magnetospheric magnetic reconnection is to quantify the interaction between large-scale global magnetospheric dynamics and microphysical processes in diffusion regions near reconnection sites. There is still considerable debate as to what degree microphysical processes on kinetic scales affect the global evolution and how important it is to substitute numerical dissipation and/or ad hoc anomalous resistivity by a physically motivated model of dissipation. Comparative studies of magnetic reconnection in small scale geometries demonstrated that MHD simulations that included non-ideal processes in terms of a resistive term $\eta J$ did not produce the fast reconnection rates observed in kinetic simulations. For a broad range of physical parameters in collisionless magnetospheric plasma, the primary mechanism controlling the dissipation in the vicinity of the reconnection site is non-gyrotropic effects with spatial scales comparable with the particle Larmor radius. We utilize the global MHD code BATSRUS and incorporate nongyrotropic effects in diffusion regions in terms of corrections to the induction equation. We developed an algorithm to search for magnetotail reconnection sites, specifically where the magnetic field components perpendicular to the local current direction approaches zero and form an X-type configuration. Spatial scales of the diffusion region and magnitude of the reconnection electric field are calculated selfconsistently using MHD plasma and field parameters in the vicinity of the reconnection site. The location of the reconnection sites is updated during the simulations. To clarify the role of nongyrotropic effects in diffusion region on the global magnetospheric dynamic we perform simulations with steady southward IMF driving of the magnetosphere. Ideal MHD simulations with magnetic reconnection supported by numerical resistivity produce steady configuration with almost stationary near-earth neutral line (NENL). Simulations with non-gyrotropic corrections demonstrate dynamic quasi-periodic response to the steady driving condition. The loading/unloading cycle in non-gyrotropic MHD results has a non-stationary reconnection site in the magnetotail, with the retreating during the stretching phase and then a new NENL forming in the resulting thin plasma sheet. We expect that this model will lead to improved representations of space weather event in the magnetosphere.

Kuznetsova, M. M.↗

Reynolds-Stress and Triple-Product Models Applied to a Flow with Rotation and Curvature

Turbulence models, with increasing complexity, up to triple product terms, are applied to the flow in a rotating pipe. The rotating pipe is a challenging case for turbulence models as it contains significant rotational and curvature effects. The flow field starts with the classic fully developed pipe flow, with a stationary pipe wall. This well defined condition is then subjected to a section of pipe with a rotating wall. The rotating wall introduces a second velocity scale, and creates Reynolds shear stresses in the radial-circumferential and circumferential-axial planes. Furthermore, the wall rotation introduces a flow stabilization, and actually reduces the turbulent kinetic energy as the flow moves along the rotating wall section. It is shown in the present work that the Reynolds stress models are capable of predicting significant reduction in the turbulent kinetic energy, but triple product improves the predictions of the centerline turbulent kinetic energy, which is governed by convection, dissipation and transport terms, as the production terms vanish on the pipe axis.

Turbulence models↗

Multi-Scale Modeling of Magnetospheric Dynamics

Magnetic reconnection is a key element in many phenomena in space plasma, e.g. Coronal mass Ejections, Magnetosphere substorms. One of the major challenges in modeling the dynamics of large-scale systems involving magnetic reconnection is to quantifY the interaction between global evolution of the magnetosphere and microphysical kinetic processes in diffusion regions near reconnection sites. Recent advances in small-scale kinetic modeling of magnetic reconnection significantly improved our understanding of physical mechanisms controlling the dissipation in the vicinity of the reconnection site in collisionless plasma. However the progress in studies of small-scale geometries was not very helpful for large scale simulations. Global magnetosphere simulations usually include non-ideal processes in terms of numerical dissipation and/or ad hoc anomalous resistivity. Comparative studies of magnetic reconnection in small scale geometries demonstrated that MHD simulations that included non-ideal processes in terms of a resistive term 11 J did not produce fast reconnection rates observed in kinetic simulations. In collisionless magnetospheric plasma, the primary mechanism controlling the dissipation in the vicinity of the reconnection site is nongyrotropic pressure effects with spatial scales comparable with the particle Larmor radius. We utilize the global MHD code BATSRUS and replace ad hoc parameters such as "critical current density" and "anomalous resistivity" with a physically motivated model of dissipation. The primary mechanism controlling the dissipation in the vicinity of the reconnection site in incorporated into MHD description in terms of non-gyrotropic corrections to the induction equation. We will demonstrate that kinetic nongyrotropic effects can significantly alter the global magnetosphere evolution. Our approach allowed for the first time to model loading/unloading cycle in response to steady southward IMF driving. The role of solar wind parameters and ionospheric conductance on the dynamics of the loading/unloading cycle will be discussed.

Kuznetsova, M. M.↗

Development of a three dimensional numerical water quality model for continental shelf applications

A model to predict the distribution of water quality parameters in three dimensions was developed. The mass transport equation was solved using a non-dimensional vertical axis and an alternating-direction-implicit finite difference technique. The reaction kinetics of the constituents were incorporated into a matrix method which permits computation of the interactions of multiple constituents. Methods for the computation of dispersion coefficients and coliform bacteria decay rates were determined. Numerical investigations of dispersive and dissipative effects showed that the three-dimensional model performs as predicted by analysis of simpler cases. The model was then applied to a two dimensional vertically averaged tidal dynamics model for the Providence River. It was also extended to a steady state application by replacing the time step with an iteration sequence. This modification was verified by comparison to analytical solutions and applied to a river confluence situation.

Spaulding, M.↗

A fast implicit upwind solution algorithm for three-dimensional unstructured dynamic meshes

A fast implicit upwind algorithm for the solution of the time-dependent Euler equations is presented for aerodynamic analysis involving unstructured dynamic meshes. The spatial discretization of the scheme is based on the upwind approach of Roe, referred to as flux-difference splitting (FDS). The FDS approach is naturally dissipative and captures shock waves and contact discontinuities sharply. The temporal discretization of the scheme involves an implicit time-integration using a two-sweep Gauss-Seidel relaxation procedure. The procedure is computationally efficient for either steady or unsteady flow problems. A detailed description is given of the implicit upwind solution algorithm along with results which assess the capability. The results are presented for the NACA 0012 airfoil and for the Boeing 747 aircraft. The 747 geometry includes the fuselage, wing, horizontal and vertical tails, under-wing pylons, and flow-through engine nacelles. Euler solutions for the 747 aircraft on an unstructured tetrahedral mesh containing approximately 100,000 cells were obtained to engineering accuracy in less than one hour CPU time on a Cray-2 computer.

Batina, John T.↗

A fast implicit upwind solution algorithm for three-dimensional unstructured dynamic meshes

A fast implicit upwind algorithm for the solution of the time-dependent Euler equations is presented for aerodynamic analysis involving unstructured dynamic meshes. The spatial discretization of the scheme is based on the upwind approach of Roe, referred to as flux-difference splitting (FDS). The FDS approach is naturally dissipative and captures shock waves and contact discontinuities sharply. The temporal discretization of the scheme involves an implicit time-integration using a two-sweep Gauss-Seidel relaxation procedure. The procedure is computationally efficient for either steady or unsteady flow problems. A detailed description is given of the implicit upwind solution algorithm along with results which assess the capability. The results are presented for the NACA 0012 airfoil and for the Boeing 747 aircraft. The 747 geometry includes the fuselage, wing, horizontal and vertical tails, under-wing pylons, and flow-through engine nacelles. Euler solutions for the 747 aircraft on an unstructured tetrahedral mesh containing approximately 100,000 cells were obtained to engineering accuracy in less than one hour CPU time on a Cray-2 computer.

Batina, John T.↗

CFD Fuel Slosh Modeling of Fluid-Structure Interaction in Spacecraft Propellant Tanks with Diaphragms

Liquid sloshing within spacecraft propellant tanks causes rapid energy dissipation at resonant modes, which can result in attitude destabilization of the vehicle. Identifying resonant slosh modes currently requires experimental testing and mechanical pendulum analogs to characterize the slosh dynamics. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) techniques have recently been validated as an effective tool for simulating fuel slosh within free-surface propellant tanks. Propellant tanks often incorporate an internal flexible diaphragm to separate ullage and propellant which increases modeling complexity. A coupled fluid-structure CFD model is required to capture the damping effects of a flexible diaphragm on the propellant. ANSYS multidisciplinary engineering software employs a coupled solver for analyzing two-way Fluid Structure Interaction (FSI) cases such as the diaphragm propellant tank system. Slosh models generated by ANSYS software are validated by experimental lateral slosh test results. Accurate data correlation would produce an innovative technique for modeling fuel slosh within diaphragm tanks and provide an accurate and efficient tool for identifying resonant modes and the slosh dynamic response.

Sances, Dillon J.↗

Dynamics of the magnetic shearing instability and magnetohydrodynamic turbulence in accretion disks. 1: Vertical magnetic field

Recently, the magnetic shearing instability (MSI) has been proposed as a dynamical mechanism for angular momentum transport in accretion disks (Balbus & Hawley 1991; Hawley & Balbus 1991). In this paper, the nonlinear dynamics of MSI modes in the presence of a vertical magnetic field B(sub 0) is discussed. In particular, the saturation levels of the fluctuating fields, the angular momentum flux, and the energy dissipation mechanism, are examined in detail. It is shown that MSI induces strong magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence in a range of wavenumbers 1/H is less than K is less than or equal to Omega/V(sub A)(sub 0)), where H is the thickness, Omega is the rotation frequency of the disk, and V(sub A)(sub 0) is the Alfven velocity. Despite the fact that the linear growth rate of MSI is maximal at small-scale (i.e., k is approximately Omega/V(sub A(sub 0)), angular momentum transport due to MSI turbulence is dominated by the magnetic Reynolds stress driven by large-scale modes (k is approximately 1/H). It is shown that the amplitude of low k(sub r) MSI eddies is limited primarily by subscale shear flow instability. Thus, dominant MSI cells are quasi-isotropic. In a stationary state, the effective Shakura-Sunyaev 'alpha' value is predicted to be of order V(sub A)(sub 0)0/C(sub s). In addition, the veritcal magnetic-field-induced MSI cells convert vertical magnetic field B(sub 0) into azimuthal magnetic field B(sub theta) in the disk. The generation of azimuthal magnetic field in turn introduces new physical processes, such as dynamo activity and azimuthal MSI turbulence. We conclude that it is not possible to decouple vertical MSI saturation from azimuthal MSI evolution. Low-frequency MSI cells are shown to co-exist with high-frequency radial buoyancy or internal waves. We show that modulational interaction between waves on these two frequency ranges is usually weak in the case when mean magnetic field is vertical. Thus, MSI and internal wave dynamics must be treated on an equal footing.

Zhang, W.↗

Development of a 3-D upwind PNS code for chemically reacting hypersonic flowfields

Two new parabolized Navier-Stokes (PNS) codes were developed to compute the three-dimensional, viscous, chemically reacting flow of air around hypersonic vehicles such as the National Aero-Space Plane (NASP). The first code (TONIC) solves the gas dynamic and species conservation equations in a fully coupled manner using an implicit, approximately-factored, central-difference algorithm. This code was upgraded to include shock fitting and the capability of computing the flow around complex body shapes. The revised TONIC code was validated by computing the chemically-reacting (M(sub infinity) = 25.3) flow around a 10 deg half-angle cone at various angles of attack and the Ames All-Body model at 0 deg angle of attack. The results of these calculations were in good agreement with the results from the UPS code. One of the major drawbacks of the TONIC code is that the central-differencing of fluxes across interior flowfield discontinuities tends to introduce errors into the solution in the form of local flow property oscillations. The second code (UPS), originally developed for a perfect gas, has been extended to permit either perfect gas, equilibrium air, or nonequilibrium air computations. The code solves the PNS equations using a finite-volume, upwind TVD method based on Roe's approximate Riemann solver that was modified to account for real gas effects. The dissipation term associated with this algorithm is sufficiently adaptive to flow conditions that, even when attempting to capture very strong shock waves, no additional smoothing is required. For nonequilibrium calculations, the code solves the fluid dynamic and species continuity equations in a loosely-coupled manner. This code was used to calculate the hypersonic, laminar flow of chemically reacting air over cones at various angles of attack. In addition, the flow around the McDonnel Douglas generic option blended-wing-body was computed and comparisons were made between the perfect gas, equilibrium air, and the nonequilibrium air results.

Tannehill, J. C.↗