Nonlocal transport of passive scalars in turbulent penetrative convection

We present a Green's function approach for quantifying the transport of a passive scalar (tracer) field in three-dimensional simulations of turbulent convection. Nonlocal, nondiffusive behavior is described by a transilient matrix (the discretized Green's function), whose elements contain the fractional tracer concentrations moving from one subvolume to another as a function of time. The approach was originally developed for and applied to geophysical flows, but here we extend the formalism and apply it in an astrophysical context to three-dimensional simulations of turbulent compressible convection with overshoot into convectively stable bounding regions. We introduce a novel technique to compute this matrix in a single simulation by advecting labeled particles rather than solving the passive scalar equation for a large number of different initial conditions. The transilient matrices thus computed are used as a diagnostic tool to quantitatively describe nonlocal transport via matrix moments and transport coefficients in a generalized, multiorder diffusion equation. Results indicate that transport in both the vertical and horizontal directions is strongly influenced by the presence of coherent velocity structures, generally resembling ballistic advection more than diffusion. The transport of a small fraction of tracer particles deep into the underlying stable region is reasonably efficient, a result which has possible implications for the problem of light-element depletion in late-type stars.     

Statistical properties of wave transport through surface-disordered waveguides

We review some general statistical properties of wave transport through surface disordered waveguides. These systems are shown to present both striking similarities and differences with respect to quasi-one-dimensional waveguides with volume disorder. The statistical properties are analysed using extensive numerical calculations and random matrix theory results. The transport properties are characterized by the statistical behaviour of different transport coefficients that can be defined for both classical (light, microwaves, sound, etc.) and quantum (electrons) waves. In analogy with bulk-disordered systems, the behaviour of the waveguide conductance/resistance (defined for both classical and quantum waves) as a function of the system length defines three different transport regimes: ballistic, diffusive and localization. However, the coupling between waveguide modes presents significant differences with respect to the coupling induced by volume defects. For any incoming mode, there is a strong preference for the forward propagation through the lowest mode. For narrow waveguides, the statistics of reflection coefficients (reflected speckle pattern) present strong finite-size effects which can be surprisingly well described by random matrix theory. Special attention is paid to the fundamental problem of the transition between different regimes. The long-standing problems of the phase randomization process between ballistic and diffusive regimes and the evolution of the conductance statistical distribution in the transition from diffusion (Gaussian statistics) to localization (log normal statistics) are also discussed.     

Statistical properties of wave transport through surface-disordered waveguides

We review some general statistical properties of wave transport through surface disordered waveguides. These systems are shown to present both striking similarities and differences with respect to quasi-one-dimensional waveguides with volume disorder. The statistical properties are analysed using extensive numerical calculations and random matrix theory results. The transport properties are characterized by the statistical behaviour of different transport coefficients that can be defined for both classical (light, microwaves, sound, etc.) and quantum (electrons) waves. In analogy with bulk-disordered systems, the behaviour of the waveguide conductance/resistance (defined for both classical and quantum waves) as a function of the system length defines three different transport regimes: ballistic, diffusive and localization. However, the coupling between waveguide modes presents significant differences with respect to the coupling induced by volume defects. For any incoming mode, there is a strong preference for the forward propagation through the lowest mode. For narrow waveguides, the statistics of reflection coefficients (reflected speckle pattern) present strong finite-size effects which can be surprisingly well described by random matrix theory. Special attention is paid to the fundamental problem of the transition between different regimes. The long-standing problems of the phase randomization process between ballistic and diffusive regimes and the evolution of the conductance statistical distribution in the transition from diffusion (Gaussian statistics) to localization (log normal statistics) are also discussed.     

Electron transport and small angle collisions

Anisotropic Coulomb scattering of electrons necessitates high order Legendre cross-section expansions or restricted angular quadratures in numerical multigroup, discrete ordinates transport calculations. We investigate the monoenergetic (Spencer-Lewis) collision operator in a small scattering angle approximation and give comparative results for electrons. Equivalence between the small-angle collision operator and diffusion-in term of the Fokker-Planck expansion is also exhibited. Such procedure reduces the forward scattering singularity and the number of moments required in applications. An overview of multigroup discrete-ordinates methodology for electron scattering is briefly detailed. To span diffusive to transport phenomena, a diffusion synthetic technique is also employed. Agreement with exact analytic and Monte Carlo predictions is good.     

Magnetoelectric anisotropy in diffusive transport

In this Letter we prove the existence of a new general diffusive transport phenomenon in crossed electric and magnetic fields: magnetoelectric anisotropy. For the specific case of diffusive electrical transport, we present a relativistic model to quantify this effect and present experimental evidence for its existence.     

Light transport and correlation length in a random laser

A random laser is a strongly disordered, laser‐active optical medium. The coherent laser feedback, which has been demonstrated experimentally to be present in these systems beyond doubt, requires the existence of spatially localized photonic quasimodes. However, the origin of these quasimodes has remained controversial. We develop an analytical theory for diffusive random lasers by coupling the transport theory of the disordered medium to the semiclassical laser rate equations, accounting for (coherent) stimulated and (incoherent) spontaneous emission. From the causality of wave propagation in an amplifying, diffusive medium we derive a novel length scale which we identify with the average mode radius of the lasing quasi‐modes. We show that truly localized modes do not exist in the system without photon number conservation. However, we find that causality in the amplifying medium implies the existence of a novel, finite intensity correlation length which we identify with the average mode volume of the lasing quasimodes. We show further that the surface of the laser‐active medium is crucial in order to stabilize a stationary lasing state. We solve the laser transport theory with appropriate surface boundary conditions to obtain the spatial distributions of the light intensity and of the occupation inversion. The dependence of the intensity correlation length on the pump rate agrees with experimental findings.     

热辐射输运问题的高效蒙特卡罗模拟方法

惯性约束聚变研究中,热辐射光子在介质中的输运以及热辐射光子与介质的相互作用是重要研究课题,蒙特卡罗方法是该类问题的重要研究手段之一.隐式蒙特卡罗方法虽然能正确地模拟热辐射在介质中的输运过程,但当模拟重介质(材料的吸收系数大)问题时,该方法花费的计算时间将变得很长,导致模拟效率很低.本文以离散扩散蒙特卡罗方法为基础,开发了"离散扩散蒙特卡罗方法辐射输运模拟程序",可以较好地解决重介质区的计算效率问题,但是离散扩散蒙卡罗方法在模拟轻介质区时精度不够高.辐射输运问题中通常既有轻介质也有重介质,为了能同时解决蒙特卡罗方法模拟的效率和精度问题,本文研究了离散扩散蒙特卡罗方法与隐式蒙特卡罗方法相结合的模拟方法,并提出了新的扩散区与输运区界面处理方法,研制了混合蒙特卡罗方法的辐射输运模拟程序.典型辐射输运问题模拟显示:在模拟重介质问题时,该程序能大幅缩短模拟时间,且能取得与隐式蒙特卡罗方法一致的结果;在模拟轻重介质均存在的问题时,与隐式蒙特卡罗方法相比,混合蒙特卡罗方法的模拟精度与其相当且计算效率同样能够得到显著提升.     

A robust SN-DG-approximation for radiation transport in optically thick and diffusive regimes

We introduce a new discontinuous Galerkin (DG) method with reduced upwind stabilization for the linear Boltzmann equation applied to particle transport. The asymptotic analysis demonstrates that the new formulation does not suffer from the limitations of standard upwind methods in the thick diffusive regime; in particular, the new method yields the correct diffusion limit for any approximation order, including piecewise constant discontinuous finite elements. Numerical tests on well-established benchmark problems demonstrate the superiority of the new method. The improvement is particularly significant when employing piecewise constant DG approximation for which standard upwinding is known to perform poorly in the thick diffusion limit.     

Passive scalar transport in peripheral regions of random flows

We investigate statistical properties of the passive scalar mixing in random (turbulent) flows assuming its diffusion to be weak. Then at advanced stages of the passive scalar decay, its unmixed residue is primarily concentrated in a narrow diffusive layer near the wall and its transport to the bulk goes through the peripheral region (laminar sublayer of the flow). We conducted Lagrangian numerical simulations of the process for different space dimensions d and revealed structures responsible for the transport, which are passive scalar tongues pulled from the diffusive boundary layer to the bulk. We investigated statistical properties of the passive scalar and of the passive scalar integrated along the wall. Moments of both objects demonstrate scaling behavior outside the diffusive boundary layer. We propose an analytic scheme for the passive scalar statistics, explaining the features observed numerically.     

Spin transport in the XXZ chain at finite temperature and momentum

We investigate the role of momentum for the transport of magnetization in the spin-1/2 Heisenberg chain above the isotropic point at finite temperature and momentum. Using numerical and analytical approaches, we analyze the autocorrelations of density and current and observe a finite region of the Brillouin zone with diffusive dynamics below a cutoff momentum, and a diffusion constant independent of momentum and time, which scales inversely with anisotropy. Lowering the temperature over a wide range, starting from infinity, the diffusion constant is found to increase strongly while the cutoff momentum for diffusion decreases. Above the cutoff momentum diffusion breaks down completely.     

Spin transport in a one-dimensional anisotropic Heisenberg model

We analytically and numerically study spin transport in a one-dimensional Heisenberg model in linear-response regime at infinite temperature. It is shown that as the anisotropy parameter Δ is varied spin transport changes from ballistic for Δ<1 to anomalous at the isotropic point Δ=1, to diffusive for finite Δ>1, ending up as a perfect isolator in the Ising limit of infinite Δ. Using perturbation theory for large Δ a quantitative prediction is made for the dependence of diffusion constant on Δ.     

Numerical solution of the radiation transport equation in disk geometry

We describe an efficient numerical method for solving the problem of radiation transport in a dusty medium with two dimensional (2-D) disk geometry. It is a generalization of the one-dimensional quasi-diffusion method in which the transport equation is cast in diffusion form and then solved as a boundary value problem. The method should be applicable to a variety of astronomical sources, the dynamics of which are angular-momentum dominated and hence not accurately treated by spherical geometry, e.g. protoplanetary nebulae, circumstellar disks, interstellar molecular clouds, accretion disks, and disk galaxies. The computational procedure and practical considerations for implementing the method are described in detail. To illustrate the effects of 2-D radiation transport, we compare some model results (dust temperature distributions and i.r. flux spectra) for externally heated, interstellar dust clouds with spherically symmetric and disk geometry.     

Quantum Transmission Conditions for Diffusive Transport in Graphene with Steep Potentials

We present a formal derivation of a drift-diffusion model for stationary electron transport in graphene, in presence of sharp potential profiles, such as barriers and steps. Assuming the electric potential to have steep variations within a strip of vanishing width on a macroscopic scale, such strip is viewed as a quantum interface that couples the classical regions at its left and right sides. In the two classical regions, where the potential is assumed to be smooth, electron and hole transport is described in terms of semiclassical kinetic equations. The diffusive limit of the kinetic model is derived by means of a Hilbert expansion and a boundary layer analysis, and consists of drift-diffusion equations in the classical regions, coupled by quantum diffusive transmission conditions through the interface. The boundary layer analysis leads to the discussion of a four-fold Milne (half-space, half-range) transport problem.     

Anomalous transport fluctuations in a model of irregular media

We consider a diffusion model with stochastic porosity for which the average solution exhibits an abnormal transport. In this paper we investigate the relation of such an anomalous diffusive property of the mean value with the behavior of the solution corresponding to each realization of the stochastic porosity. Such a solution will correspond to the actual measurements in an experiment made on a particular tube. The most relevant result of our work is that, although the concentration corresponding to each realization diffuses normally for large times, it experiments on large deviations from the mean value during intermediate times.     

Time-dependent radiative transfer with automatic flux limiting

We discuss a simple method for solving the time-dependent transfer problem. This scheme is automatically flux-limited and affords physical insight into how flux limitation occurs. We then develop a second-order, time-dependent radiation energy equation that is similar in form to the diffusion limit radiation energy equation. This time-dependent energy equation approaches physically reasonable equations in optically thick and thin regions. Computational aspects of solving this energy equation are discussed.     

Brownian flights over a fractal nest and first-passage statistics on irregular surfaces

The diffusive motion of Brownian particles near irregular interfaces plays a crucial role in various transport phenomena in nature and industry. Most diffusion-reaction processes in confining interfacial systems involve a sequence of Brownian flights in the bulk, connecting successive hits with the interface (Brownian bridges). The statistics of times and displacements separating two interface encounters are then determinant in the overall transport. We present a theoretical and numerical analysis of this complex first-passage problem. We show that the bridge statistics is directly related to the Minkowski content of the surface within the usual diffusion length. In the case of self-similar or self-affine interfaces, we show and check numerically that the bridge statistics follows power laws with exponents depending directly on the surface fractal dimension.     

Second order time evolution of the multigroup diffusion and P1 equations for radiation transport

An existing solution method for solving the multigroup radiation equations, linear multifrequency-grey acceleration, is here extended to be second order in time. This method works for simple diffusion and for flux-limited diffusion, with or without material conduction. A new method is developed that does not require the solution of an averaged grey transport equation. It is effective solving both the diffusion and P₁ forms of the transport equation. Two dimensional, multi-material test problems are used to compare the solution methods.     

A lattice Boltzmann model for coupled diffusion

Diffusion coupling between different chemical components can have significant effects on the distribution of chemical species and can affect the physico-chemical properties of their supporting medium. The coupling can arise from local electric charge conservation for ions or from bound components forming compounds. We present a new lattice Boltzmann model to account for the diffusive coupling between different chemical species. In this model each coupling is added as an extra relaxation term in the collision operator. The model is tested on a simple diffusion problem with two coupled components and is in excellent agreement with the results obtained through a finite difference method. Our model is observed to be numerically very stable and unconditional stability is shown for a class of diffusion matrices. We further develop the model to account for advection and show an example of application to flow in porous media in two dimensions and an example of convection due to salinity differences. We show that our model with advection loses the unconditional stability, but offers a straight-forward approach to complicated two-dimensional advection and coupled diffusion problems.     

Subdiffusive axial transport of granular materials in a long drum mixer

Granular mixtures segregate radially by size when tumbled in a partially filled horizontal drum. The smaller component moves toward the axis of rotation and forms a buried core, which then splits into axial bands. Models have generally assumed that the axial segregation is opposed by diffusion. Using narrow pulses of the smaller component as initial conditions, we have characterized axial transport in the core. We find that the axial advance of the segregated core is well described by a self-similar concentration profile whose width scales as talpha, with alpha approximately 0.3<1/2. Thus, the process is subdiffusive rather than diffusive as previously assumed. We compare our results to two one-dimensional model equations which contain self-similarity and subdiffusion: a linear fractional diffusion model and the nonlinear porous medium equation.     

The Ulam problem and the ionization of Rydberg atoms by microwave radiation

We study the Ulam problem for long times (several million collisions) by numerical methods. We show that in the diffusion regime, which is valid for moderate times, this problem is mathematically equivalent to the problem of the diffusive ionization of atomic Rydberg states by microwave radiation. It is concluded that the diffusion regime sets in only for a very small number of initial conditions (field phases). It is theorized that the analogy between the two problems can be extrapolated to times longer than the diffusion time. We show in the Ulam problem that after the diffusional buildup of energy has finished, the quasistationary regime does not continue indefinitely: after several million particle-wall collisions the energy rapidly drops to zero. On the basis of this extrapolation we examine the possibility that an electron which has reached the continuous spectrum will not fly off to infinity (ionization), but will return to bound Rydberg states of the atoms (if the field acts for a sufficiently long time). This can make the diffusive ionization probability much lower than the value given by the known estimates. Zh. éksp. Teor. Fiz. 114, 37–45 (July 1998)