Numerical Study of the Small Scale Structures in Boussinesq Convection

Abstract

Two-dimensional Boussinesq convection is studied numerically using two different methods: a filtered pseudospectral method and a high order accurate ENO scheme. The issue whether finite time singularity occurs for initially smooth flows is investigated. The numerical results suggest that the collapse of the bubble cap reported by Pumir and Siggia is unlikely to occur in resolved calculations. The strain rate corresponding to the intensification of the density gradient across the front saturates at the bubble cap. We also found that the cascade of energy to small scales is dominated by the formulation of thin and sharp fronts across which density jumps.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Aug 01, 1992
Accession Number
ADA255860

Entities

People

  • Chi-Wang Shu
  • Weinan E

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Aeronautics
  • Computations
  • Computers
  • Contracts
  • Convection
  • Engineering
  • Equations
  • Euler Equations
  • Flow
  • Geometry
  • Incompressible Flow
  • Inequalities
  • Mathematics
  • Strain Rate
  • Three Dimensional
  • Two Dimensional

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science / Meteorology, specifically Wind Wave Turbulence.
  • Finite Element Method (FEM) for solving Partial Differential Equations (PDEs)