Lagrangian analysis of the formation and mass transport of compressible vortex rings generated by a shock tube

In order to understand the mass transport and the dynamic genesis associated with a compressible vortex formation,a dynamic analysis of compressible vortex rings (CVRs) generated by shock tubes by using the framework of Lagrangiancoherent structures (LCSs) and finite-time Lyapunov exponents field (FTLE) is performed. Numerical calculation is performed to simulate the evolution of CVRs generated by shock tubes with 70 mm, 100 mm, and 165 mm of the driver sectionat the circumstances of pressure ratio = 3. The formation of CVRs is studied according to FTLE fields. The mass transportduring the formation is obviously seen by the material manifold reveled by FTLE fields. A non-universal formation numberfor the three CVRs is obtained. Then the elliptic LCSs is implemented on three CVRs. Fluid particles separated by ellipticLCSs and ridges of FTLE are traced back to t = 0 to identify the fluid that eventually forms the CVRs. The elliptic LCSsencompass around 60% fluid material of the advected bulk but contain the majority of the circulation of the ring. The otherparts of the ring carrying almost zero circulation advect along with the ring. Combining the ridges of FTLE and the ellipticLCS, the whole CVR can be divided into three distinct dynamic parts: vortex part, entrainment part, and advected part. Inaddition, a criterion based on the vortex part formation is suggested to identify the formation number of CVRs.     

Flow and magnetic structures in a kinematic ABC-dynamo

Dynamo theory describes the magnetic field induced by the rotating, convecting and electrically conducting fluid in a celestial body. The classical ABC-flow model represents fast dynamo action, required to sustain such a magnetic field. In this letter,Lagrangian coherent structures(LCSs) in the ABC-flow are detected through Finite-time Lyapunov exponents(FTLE). The flow skeleton is identified by extracting intersections between repelling and attracting LCSs. For the case A = B = C = 1, the skeleton structures are made up from lines connecting two different types of stagnation points in the ABC-flow. The corresponding kinematic ABC-dynamo problem is solved using a spectral method, and the distribution of cigar-like magnetic structures visualized.Inherent links are found to exist between LCSs in the ABC-flow and induced magnetic structures, which provides insight into the mechanism behind the ABC-dynamo.     

Computing Lagrangian coherent structures from their variational theory

Using the recently developed variational theory of hyperbolic Lagrangian coherent structures (LCSs), we introduce a computational approach that renders attracting and repelling LCSs as smooth, parametrized curves in two-dimensional flows. The curves are obtained as trajectories of an autonomous ordinary differential equation for the tensor lines of the Cauchy-Green strain tensor. This approach eliminates false positives and negatives in LCS detection by separating true exponential stretching from shear in a frame-independent fashion. Having an explicitly parametrized form for hyperbolic LCSs also allows for their further in-depth analysis and accurate advection as material lines. We illustrate these results on a kinematic model flow and on a direct numerical simulation of two-dimensional turbulence.     

A variational theory of hyperbolic Lagrangian Coherent Structures

We develop a mathematical theory that clarifies the relationship between observable Lagrangian Coherent Structures (LCSs) and invariants of the Cauchy-Green strain tensor field. Motivated by physical observations of trajectory patterns, we define hyperbolic LCSs as material surfaces (i.e., codimension-one invariant manifolds in the extended phase space) that extremize an appropriate finite-time normal repulsion or attraction measure over all nearby material surfaces. We also define weak LCSs (WLCSs) as stationary solutions of the above variational problem. Solving these variational problems, we obtain computable sufficient and necessary criteria for WLCSs and LCSs that link them rigorously to the Cauchy-Green strain tensor field. We also prove a condition for the robustness of an LCS under perturbations such as numerical errors or data imperfection. On several examples, we show how these results resolve earlier inconsistencies in the theory of LCS. Finally, we introduce the notion of a Constrained LCS (CLCS) that extremizes normal repulsion or attraction under constraints. This construct allows for the extraction of a unique observed LCS from linear systems, and for the identification of the most influential weak unstable manifold of an unstable node.     

Identification of lagrangian coherent structures in the turbulent boundary layer

Using Finite-Time Lyapunov Exponents (FTLE) method, Lagrangian coherent structures (LCSs) in a fully developed flat-plate turbulent boundary layer are successfully identified from a two-dimensional (2D) velocity field obtained by time-resolved 2D PIV measurement. The typical LCSs in the turbulent boundary layer are hairpin-like structures, which are characterized as legs of quasi-streamwise vortices extending deep into the near wall region with an inclination angle θ to the wall, and heads of the transverse vortex tube located in the outer region. Statistical analysis on the characteristic shape of typical LCS reveals that the probability density distribution of θ accords well with t-distribution in the near wall region, but presents a bimodal distribution with two peaks in the outer region, corresponding to the hairpin head and the hairpin neck, respectively. Spatial correlation analysis of FTLE field is implemented to get the ensemble-averaged inclination angle θ _R of typical LCS. θ _R first increases and then decreases along the wall-normal direction, similar to that of the mean value of θ. Moreover, the most probable value of θ saturates at y ⁺=100 with the maximum value of about 24°, suggesting that the most likely position where hairpins transit from the neck to the head is located around y ⁺=100. The ensemble- averaged convection velocity U _c of typical LCS is finally calculated from temporal-spatial correlation analysis of FTLE field. It is found that the wall-normal profile of the convection velocity U _c(y) accords well with the local mean velocity profile U(y) beyond the buffer layer, evidencing that the downstream convection of hairpins determines the transportation properties of the turbulent boundary layer in the log-region and beyond. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 10425207 and 10832001)     

GPU and APU computations of Finite Time Lyapunov Exponent fields

We present GPU and APU accelerated computations of Finite-Time Lyapunov Exponent (FTLE) fields. The calculation of FTLEs is a computationally intensive process, as in order to obtain the sharp ridges associated with the Lagrangian Coherent Structures an extensive resampling of the flow field is required. The computational performance of this resampling is limited by the memory bandwidth of the underlying computer architecture. The present technique harnesses data-parallel execution of many-core architectures and relies on fast and accurate evaluations of moment conserving functions for the mesh to particle interpolations. We demonstrate how the computation of FTLEs can be efficiently performed on a GPU and on an APU through OpenCL and we report over one order of magnitude improvements over multi-threaded executions in FTLE computations of bluff body flows.     

Coherent structures over riblets in turbulent boundary layer studied by combining time-resolved particle image velocimetry(TRPIV),proper orthogonal decomposition(POD),and finite-time Lyapunov exponent(FTLE)

Time-resolved particle image velocimetry(TRPIV) experiments are performed to investigate the coherent structure's performance of riblets in a turbulent boundary layer(TBL) at a friction Reynolds number of 185. To visualize the energetic large-scale coherent structures(CSs) over a smooth surface and riblets, the proper orthogonal decomposition(POD) and finite-time Lyapunov exponent(FTLE) are used to identify the CSs in the TBL. Spatial-temporal correlation is implemented to obtain the characters and transport properties of typical CSs in the FTLE fields. The results demonstrate that the generic flow structures, such as hairpin-like vortices, are also observed in the boundary layer flow over the riblets, consistent with its smooth counterpart. Low-order POD modes are more sensitive to the riblets in comparison with the high-order ones,and the wall-normal movement of the most energy-containing structures are suppressed over riblets. The spatial correlation analysis of the FTLE fields indicates that the evolution process of the hairpin vortex over riblets are inhibited. An apparent decrease of the convection velocity over riblets is noted, which is believed to reduce the ejection/sweep motions associated with high shear stress from the viscous sublayer. These reductions exhibit inhibition of momentum transfer among the structures near the wall in the TBL flows.     

Flux rope dynamics: experimental study of bouncing and merging

We show experimentally for the first time that two mutually attracting flux ropes may bounce back instead of merging together, leading to a variety of dynamics not expected from a two-dimensional model. Attraction forces due to flux rope currents compete with repulsion from field line bending of in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic fields and elastic plasma compression. Bouncing dynamics occurs if the line-bending force due to an out-of-plane field dominates. Otherwise, the ropes merge. Further reduction in the field line-bending force results in violently erratic magnetic states.     

Effect of pressure evolution on the formation enhancement in dual interacting vortex rings

In the biological locomotion, the ambit pressure is of particular importance to use as a means of propulsion. The multiple vortex rings have been proved to generate additional thrust by interaction, but the mechanism of this thrust enhancement is still unknown. This study examines the effect of ambit pressure on formation enhancement in interacting dual vortex rings. The vortex rings, which have the same formation time, are successively generated in a piston-cylinder apparatus. The finite-time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE) visualizes the flow fields as an indication of Lagrangian coherent structures (LCSs), and the pressure field is calculated based on the digital particle image velocity (DPIV). We extract the back pressure of the rear vortex in dual vortices and the back pressure circulation $\varGamma_{\rm b}$, which is defined as a form of overpressure circulation $\varGamma_{\rm p}$. The $\varGamma_{\rm b}$ has a positive linear relationship with $\varGamma_{\rm p}$. A critical interval distance $d_{\rm cr}^*$ in a range of 0.32-0.42 is found where $\varGamma_{\rm b}$ and $\varGamma_{\rm p}$ reach the maximum synchronously, leading to a full-interaction mode. Moreover, an over-interaction mode and an under-interaction mode are proposed when the dimensionless interval distance $d^*$ is smaller or larger than $d_{\rm cr}^*$. To conclude, the high back pressure caused by vortex interaction can enhance the formation of vortex rings and lead to high thrust.     

Phototactic clustering of swimming microorganisms in a turbulent velocity field

We study the distribution of swimming microorganisms advected by a two-dimensional smooth turbulent flow and attracted towards a light source through phototaxis. It is shown that particles aggregate along a dynamical attractor with fractal measure whose dimension depends on the strength of the phototaxis. Using an effective diffusion approximation for the flow, we derive an analytic expression for the increase in light exposure over the aggregate and by extension an accurate prediction for the fractal dimension based on the properties of the advection and the statistics of the attracting field.     

有限时间Lyapunov指数的高精度计算新方法

针对目前有限时间Lyapunov指数(FTLE)计算方法准确度不高和无法获得边界值的问题,基于对偶数理论提出了一种新的高精度计算方法.首先描述了基于有限空间差分方法计算FTLE的缺点和问题:其次介绍了基于对偶数理论的高精度导数计算方法及其显著优点,并将动力系统的柯西一格林形变张量计算问题转化为对偶数空间中非线性微分方程数值求解问题;最后对单摆和非线性Duffing振子两个典型物理动力系统进行了数值实验.结果表明:基于对偶数理论的新方法能有效、方便和高精度地计算出有限时间Lyapunov指数场,并成功识别出所包含的拉格朗日相关结构.     

An Eulerian approach for computing the finite time Lyapunov exponent

We propose efficient Eulerian methods for approximating the finite-time Lyapunov exponent (FTLE). The idea is to compute the related flow map using the Level Set Method and the Liouville equation. There are several advantages of the proposed approach. Unlike the usual Lagrangian-type computations, the resulting method requires the velocity field defined only at discrete locations. No interpolation of the velocity field is needed. Also, the method automatically stops a particle trajectory in the case when the ray hits the boundary of the computational domain. The computational complexity of the algorithm is O(Δx^?(d+1)) with d the dimension of the physical space. Since there are the same number of mesh points in the x–t space, the computational complexity of the proposed Eulerian approach is optimal in the sense that each grid point is visited for only O(1) time. We also extend the algorithm to compute the FTLE on a co-dimension one manifold. The resulting algorithm does not require computation on any local coordinate system and is simple to implement even for an evolving manifold.     

Hard-Core Bosons on a Two-Dimensional Square Optical Superlattice

In this work,we theoretically study hard-core bosons on a two-dimensional square optical superlattice at T = 0.First of all,we present the mean field phase diagram of this model in terms of the chemical potential μ and the alternating potential strength △.Besides a superfluid(SF) phase at △ = 0 and a charge density wave(CDW)phase in the large △ at half filling,we demonstrate that a supersolid(SS) phase emerges in the moderate △.Then,we focus on the μ = 0,e.g.,half filling case,using large-S semi-classical spin-wave approximation to study the SS to CDW quantum phase transition.In particular,we calculate the ground-state energy and the superfluid density at the level of1/S correction.We then compare the spin-wave results with the large scale quantum Monte Carlo(QMC) simulations using the cluster stochastic series expansion(CSSE) algorithm,and find that while the spin wave method is intuitive with clear physical pictures,the quantum critical point is quite different from that of numerical results which is believed to be accurate.We suggest that as simple as it is,this model still exhibits strong quantum fluctuations near the quantum critical point beyond the power of semiclassical spin-wave approach.     

Potentials on the two-torus for which the Hamiltonian flow is ergodic

We consider the motion of a test particle in a compound central potential field on a two-dimensional torus. We discuss three different classes of potentials (attracting, repelling, and mixed) that lead to Hamiltonian systems which have positive Lyapunov exponent almost everywhere and are ergodic. Included among the mixed potentials are smooth potentials without singularities.Partially supported by NSF grant DMS 8806067     

Lagrangian coherent structures are associated with fluctuations in airborne microbial populations

Many microorganisms are advected in the lower atmosphere from one habitat to another with scales of motion being hundreds to thousands of kilometers. The concentration of these microbes in the lower atmosphere at a single geographic location can show rapid temporal changes. We used autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles equipped with microbe-sampling devices to collect fungi in the genus Fusarium 100 m above ground level at a single sampling location in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA. Some Fusarium species are important plant and animal pathogens, others saprophytes, and still others are producers of dangerous toxins. We correlated punctuated changes in the concentration of Fusarium to the movement of atmospheric transport barriers identified as finite-time Lyapunov exponent-based Lagrangian coherent structures (LCSs). An analysis of the finite-time Lyapunov exponent field for periods surrounding 73 individual flight collections of Fusarium showed a relationship between punctuated changes in concentrations of Fusarium and the passage times of LCSs, particularly repelling LCSs. This work has implications for understanding the atmospheric transport of invasive microbial species into previously unexposed regions and may contribute to information systems for pest management and disease control in the future.     

Directed current due to broken time-space symmetry

We consider the classical dynamics of a particle in a one-dimensional space-periodic potential U(X) = U(X+2pi) under the influence of a time-periodic space-homogeneous external field E(t) = E(t+T). If E(t) is neither a symmetric function of t nor antisymmetric under time shifts E(t+/-T/2) not equal-E(t), an ensemble of trajectories with zero current at t = 0 yields a nonzero finite current as t-->infinity. We explain this effect using symmetry considerations and perturbation theory. Finally we add dissipation (friction) and demonstrate that the resulting set of attractors keeps the broken symmetry property in the basins of attraction and leads to directed currents as well.     

Theoretical and computational aspects of scattering from periodic surfaces: two-dimensional perfectly reflecting surfaces using the spectral-coordinate method

We consider the scattering from a two-dimensional periodic surface. From our previous work on scattering from one-dimensional surfaces (1998 Waves Random Media 8 385) we have learned that the spectral-coordinate (SC) method was the fastest method we have available. Most computational studies of scattering from two-dimensional surfaces require a large memory and a long calculation time unless some approximations are used in the theoretical development. By using the SC method here we are able to solve exact theoretical equations with a minimum of calculation time.

We first derive in detail (part I) the SC equations for scattering from two-dimensional infinite surfaces. Equations for the boundary unknowns (surface field and/or its normal derivative) result as well as an equation to evaluate the scattered field once we have solved for the boundary unknowns. Special cases for the perfectly reflecting Dirichlet and Neumann boundary value problems are presented as is the flux-conservation relation.

The equations are reduced to those for a two-dimensional periodic surface in part II and we discuss the numerical methods for their solution. The two-dimensional coordinate and spectral samples are arranged in one-dimensional strings in order to define the matrix system to be solved.

The SC equations for the two-dimensional periodic surfaces are solved in part III. Computations are performed for both Dirichlet and Neumann problems for various periodic sinusoidal surface examples. The surfaces vary in roughness as well as period and are investigated when the incident field is far from grazing incidence ('no grazing') and when it is near-grazing. Extensive computations are included in terms of the maximum roughness slope which can be computed using the method with a fixed maximum error as a function of the azimuthal angle of incidence, the polar angle of incidence and the wavelength-to-period ratio.

The results show that the SC method is highly robust. This is demonstrated with extensive computations. Furthermore, the SC method is found to be computationally efficient and accurate for near-grazing incidence. Computations are presented for grazing angles as low as 0.01°. In general, we conclude that the SC method is a very fast, reliable and robust computational method to describe scattering from two-dimensional periodic surfaces. Its major limiting factor is high slopes and we quantify this limitation.     

Tortuosity measurement and the effects of finite pulse widths on xenon gas diffusion NMR studies of porous media.

We have extended the utility of NMR as a technique to probe porous media structure over length scales of approximately 100-2000 microm by using the spin 1/2 noble gas 129Xe imbibed into the system's pore space. Such length scales are much greater than can be probed with NMR diffusion studies of water-saturated porous media. We utilized Pulsed Gradient Spin Echo NMR measurements of the time-dependent diffusion coefficient, D(t), of the xenon gas filling the pore space to study further the measurements of both the pore surface-area-to-volume ratio, S/V(p), and the tortuosity (pore connectivity) of the medium. In uniform-size glass bead packs, we observed D(t) decreasing with increasing t, reaching an observed asymptote of approximately 0.62-0.65D(0), that could be measured over diffusion distances extending over multiple bead diameters. Measurements of D(t)/D(0) at differing gas pressures showed this tortuosity limit was not affected by changing the characteristic diffusion length of the spins during the diffusion encoding gradient pulse. This was not the case at the short time limit, where D(t)/D(0) was noticeably affected by the gas pressure in the sample. Increasing the gas pressure, and hence reducing D(0) and the diffusion during the gradient pulse served to reduce the previously observed deviation of D(t)/D(0) from the S/V(p) relation. The Pade approximation is used to interpolate between the long and short time limits in D(t). While the short time D(t) points lay above the interpolation line in the case of small beads, due to diffusion during the gradient pulse on the order of the pore size, it was also noted that the experimental D(t) data fell below the Pade line in the case of large beads, most likely due to finite size effects.     

Condensation and Crystal Nucleation in a Lattice Gas with a Realistic Phase Diagram

We reconsider model II of Orban et al. (J. Chem. Phys. 1968, 49, 1778–1783), a two-dimensional lattice-gas system featuring a crystalline phase and two distinct fluid phases (liquid and vapor). In this system, a particle prevents other particles from occupying sites up to third neighbors on the square lattice, while attracting (with decreasing strength) particles sitting at fourth- or fifth-neighbor sites. To make the model more realistic, we assume a finite repulsion at third-neighbor distance, with the result that a second crystalline phase appears at higher pressures. However, the similarity with real-world substances is only partial: Upon closer inspection, the alleged liquid–vapor transition turns out to be a continuous (albeit sharp) crossover, even near the putative triple point. Closer to the standard picture is instead the freezing transition, as we show by computing the free-energy barrier relative to crystal nucleation from the “liquid”.     

Ferromagnetism of 3He films in the low-field limit

We provide evidence for a finite-temperature ferromagnetic transition in two dimensions as H -->0 in thin films of 3He on graphite, a model system for the study of two-dimensional magnetism. We perform pulsed and cw NMR experiments at fields of 0.03-0.48 mT on 3He at areal densities of 20.5-24.2 atoms/nm(2). At these densities, the second layer of 3He has a strongly ferromagnetic tendency. With decreasing temperature, we find a rapid onset of magnetization that becomes independent of the applied field at temperatures in the vicinity of 1 mK. Both the dipolar field and the NMR linewidth grow rapidly as well, which is consistent with a large (order unity) polarization of the 3He spins.