Front Speed in the Burgers Equation with a Random Flux

We study the large-time asymptotic shock-front speed in an inviscid Burgers equation with a spatially random flux function. This equation is a prototype for a class of scalar conservation laws with spatial random coefficients such as the well-known Buckley–Leverett equation for two-phase flows, and the contaminant transport equation in groundwater flows. The initial condition is a shock located at the origin (the indicator function of the negative real line). We first regularize the equation by a special random viscous term so that the resulting equation can be solved explicitly by a Cole–Hopf formula. Using the invariance principle of the underlying random processes and the Laplace method, we prove that for large times the solutions behave like fronts moving at averaged constant speeds in the sense of distribution. However, the front locations are random, and we show explicitly the probability of observing the head or tail of the fronts. Finally, we pass to the inviscid limit, and establish the same results for the inviscid shock fronts.     

Global Solutions to a Reactive Boussinesq System with Front Data on an Infinite Domain

We prove the existence of global solutions to a coupled system of Navier–Stokes, and reaction-diffusion equations (for temperature and mass fraction) with prescribed front data on an infinite vertical strip or tube. This system models a one-step exothermic chemical reaction. The heat release induced volume expansion is accounted for via the Boussinesq approximation. The solutions are time dependent moving fronts in the presence of fluid convection. In the general setting, the fronts are subject to intensive Rayleigh-Taylor and thermal-diffusive instabilities. Various physical quantities, such as fluid velocity, temperature, and front speed, can grow in time. We show that the growth is at most for large time t by constructing a nonlinear functional on the temperature and mass fraction components. These results hold for arbitrary order reactions in two space dimensions and for quadratic and cubic reactions in three space dimensions. In the absence of any thermal-diffusive instability (unit Lewis number), and with weak fluid coupling, we construct a class of fronts moving through shear flows. Although the front speeds may oscillate in time, we show that they are uniformly bounded for large t. The front equation shows the generic time-dependent nature of the front speeds and the straining effect of the flow field. Received: 15 January 1996 / Accepted: 2 September 1997     

Computing reactive front speeds in random flows by variational principle

We study reactive front speeds in randomly perturbed cellular flows using a variational representation for the front speed. We develop this representation into a computational tool for computing the front speeds without resorting to closure approximations. We demonstrate that the front speeds depend on flow statistics and topologies in a complex and dramatic manner.     

Zur Begründung eines Variationsprinzipes für zerfallende Systeme

Taking into account the circumstance that the decay of an unstable microscopic system into two fragments is established by the counting of one of the decay products in a detector, the observed exponential decay law then asserts only knowledge of the spatiotemporal behaviour of the probability density (and therewith knowledge of the decaying state) at a large finite distance from the site of decay. We therefore formulate a variational principle, of which stationary functions show this decay behaviour. In addition to the resonant wave functions there are also solutions of the variational principle, which decrease exponentially with increasing distance, i.e., functions which could be used to describe the bound states. As the time-dependent treatment shows, the decaying states cannot occur in isolation in a scattering process. The mathematical characterisation of the decaying states via a variational principle is incorporated in a theory of open physical systems. In contradiction to the variational principle of Schrödinger our principle does not provide complete knowledge of the quantum states, but this is not needed in order to describe the decay.     

Convection-enhanced diffusion for random flows

We analyze the effective diffusivity of a passive scalar in a two-dimensional, steady, incompressible random flow that has mean zero and a stationary stream function. We show that in the limit of small diffusivity or large Peclet number, with convection dominating, there is substantial enhancement of the effective diffusivity. Our analysis is based on some new variational principles for convection diffusion problems and on some facts from continuum percolation theory, some of which are widely believed to be correct but have not been proved yet. We show in detail how the variational principles convert information about the geometry of the level lines of the random stream function into properties of the effective diffusivity and substantiate the result of Isichenko and Kalda that the effective diffusivity behaves likeɛ ^3/13 when the molecular diffusivityɛ is small, assuming some percolation-theoretic facts. We also analyze the effective diffusivity for a special class of convective flows, random cellular flows, where the facts from percolation theory are well established and their use in the variational principles is more direct than for general random flows.     

Traveling wave solutions of a reaction-diffusion model for bacterial growth

In this paper, we consider a reaction-diffusion model for the bacterial growth. Mathematical analysis on the traveling wave solutions of the model is performed. This includes traveling wave analysis and numerical simulations of wave front propagation for a special case. Specifically, we show that such solutions exist only for wave speeds greater than some minimum speed giving wave with a sharp front. The minimum speed is estimated and the wave profile is calculated and compared with different numerical methods.     

Nonlinear instability of elementary stratified flows at large Richardson number

Elementary stably stratified flows with linear instability at all large Richardson numbers have been introduced recently by the authors [J. Fluid Mech. 376, 319-350 (1998)]. These elementary stratified flows have spatially constant but time varying gradients for velocity and density. Here the nonlinear stability of such flows in two space dimensions is studied through a combination of numerical simulations and theory. The elementary flows that are linearly unstable at large Richardson numbers are purely vortical flows; here it is established that from random initial data, linearized instability spontaneously generates local shears on buoyancy time scales near a specific angle of inclination that nonlinearly saturates into localized regions of strong mixing with density overturning resembling Kelvin-Helmholtz instability. It is also established here that the phase of these unstable waves does not satisfy the dispersion relation of linear gravity waves. The vortical flows are one family of stably stratified flows with uniform shear layers at the other extreme and elementary stably stratified flows with a mixture of vorticity and strain exhibiting behavior between these two extremes. The concept of effective shear is introduced for these general elementary flows; for each large Richardson number there is a critical effective shear with strong nonlinear instability, density overturning, and mixing for elementary flows with effective shear below this critical value. The analysis is facilitated by rewriting the equations for nonlinear perturbations in vorticity-stream form in a mean Lagrangian reference frame. (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics.     

An Hamiltonian interface SPH formulation for multi-fluid and free surface flows

In the present work a new SPH model for simulating interface and free surface flows is presented. This formulation is an extension of the one discussed in Colagrossi and Landrini (2003) and is related to the one proposed by Hu and Adams (2006) to study multi-fluid flows. The new SPH scheme allows an accurate treatment of the discontinuity of quantities at the interface (such as the density), and permits to model flows where both interfaces and a free surface are present. The governing equations are derived following a Lagrangian variational principle leading to an Hamiltonian system of particles. The proposed formulation is validated on test cases for which reference solutions are available in the literature.     

Bounds on enhanced turbulent flame speeds for combustion with fractal velocity fields

Rigorous upper bounds are derived for large-scale turbulent flame speeds in a prototypical model problem. This model problem consists of a reaction-diffusion equation with KPP chemistry with random advection consisting of a turbulent unidirectional shear flow. When this velocity field is fractal with a Hurst exponentH with 0<H<1, the almost sure upper bounds suggest that there is an accelerating large-scale turbulent flame front with the enhanced anomalous propagation lawy=C _H t ^1+H for large renormalized times. In contrast, a similar rigorous almost sure upper bound for velocity fields with finite energy yields the turbulent flame propagation law within logarithmic corrections. Furthermore, rigorous theorems are developed here which show that upper bounds for turbulent flame speeds with fractal velocity fields are not self-averaging, i.e., bounds for the ensemble-averaged turbulent flame speed can be extremely pessimistic and misleading when compared with the bounds for every realization.     

Population growth in random media. I. Variational formula and phase diagram

We consider an infinite system of particles on the integer lattice Z that: (1) migrate to the right with a random delay, (2) branch along the way according to a random law depending on their position (random medium). In Part I, the first part of a two-part presentation, the initial configuration has one particle at each site. The long-time limit exponential growth rate of the expected number of particles at site 0 (local particle density) does not depend on the realization of the random medium, but only on the law. It is computed in the form of a variational formula that can be solved explicitly. The result reveals two phase transitions associated with localization vs. delocalization and survival vs. extinction. In earlier work the exponential growth rate of the Cesaro limit of the number of particles per site (global particle density) was studied and a different variational formula was found, but with similar structure, solution, and phases. Combination of the two results reveals an intermediate phase where the population globally survives but locally becomes extinct (i.e., dies out on any fixed finite set of sites).     

Transition from pushed-to-pulled fronts in piecewise linear reaction–diffusion systems

The front dynamics in reaction–diffusion equations with a piecewise linear reaction term is studied. A transition from pushed-to-pulled fronts when they propagate into the unstable state is found using a variational principle. This transition occurs for a critical value of the discontinuity position in the reaction function. In particular, we study how the transition depends on the properties of the reaction term and on the delay time. Our results are in good agreement with the numerical solutions of the model.     

Decay and growth laws in homogeneous shear turbulence

Homogeneous anisotropic turbulence has been widely studied in the past decades, both numerically and experimentally. Shear flows have received a particular attention because of the numerous physical phenomena they exhibit. In the present paper, both the decay and growth of anisotropy in homogeneous shear flows at high Reynolds numbers are revisited thanks to a recent eddy-damped quasi-normal Markovian closure adapted to homogeneous anisotropic turbulence. The emphasis is put on several aspects: an asymptotic model for the slow part of the pressure–strain tensor is derived for the return to isotropy process when mean velocity gradients are released. Then, a general decay law for purely anisotropic quantities in Batchelor turbulence is proposed. At last, a discussion is proposed to explain the scattering of global quantities obtained in DNS and experiments in sustained shear flows: the emphasis is put on the exponential growth rate of the kinetic energy and on the shear parameter.     

Stochastic least-action principle for the incompressible Navier-Stokes equation

We formulate a stochastic least-action principle for solutions of the incompressible Navier-Stokes equation, which formally reduces to Hamilton’s principle for the incompressible Euler solutions in the case of zero viscosity. We use this principle to give a new derivation of a stochastic Kelvin Theorem for the Navier-Stokes equation, recently established by Constantin and Iyer, which shows that this stochastic conservation law arises from particle-relabelling symmetry of the action. We discuss issues of irreversibility, energy dissipation, and the inviscid limit of Navier-Stokes solutions in the framework of the stochastic variational principle. In particular, we discuss the connection of the stochastic Kelvin Theorem with our previous “martingale hypothesis” for fluid circulations in turbulent solutions of the incompressible Euler equations.     

Variational Principle for a Schrdinger Equation with Non-Hermitian Hamiltonian and Position-Dependent Mass

A classical field theory for a Schrodinger equation with a non-Hermitian Hamiltonian describing a particle with position-dependent mass has been recently advanced by Nobre and Rego-Monteiro(NR)[Phys.Rev.A 88(2013)032105].This field theory is based on a variational principle involving the wavefunction Ψ(x,t) and an auxiliary fieldΦ{x,t).It is here shown that the relation between the dynamics of the auxiliary field Φ(x,t) and that of the original wavefunction Ψ(x,t) is deeper than suggested by the NR approach.Indeed,we formulate a variational principle for the aforementioned Schrodinger equation which is based solely on the wavefunction Ψ(x,t).A continuity equation for an appropriately defined probability density,and the concomitant preservation of the norm,follows from this variational principle via Noether's theorem.Moreover,the norm-conservation law obtained by NR is reinterpreted as tie preservation of the inner product between pairs of solutions of the variable mass Schrodinger equation.     

Zero Temperature Limit for Directed Polymers and Inviscid Limit for Stationary Solutions of Stochastic Burgers Equation

We consider a space-continuous and time-discrete polymer model for positive temperature and the associated zero temperature model of last passage percolation type. In our previous work, we constructed and studied infinite-volume polymer measures and one-sided infinite minimizers for the associated variational principle, and used these objects for the study of global stationary solutions of the Burgers equation with positive or zero viscosity and random kick forcing, on the entire real line. In this paper, we prove that in the zero temperature limit, the infinite-volume polymer measures concentrate on the one-sided minimizers and that the associated global solutions of the viscous Burgers equation with random kick forcing converge to the global solutions of the inviscid equation.     

White noise perturbation of the viscous shock fronts of the Burgers equation

We study the front dynamics of solutions of the initial value problem of the Burgers equation with initial data being the viscous shock front plus the white noise perturbation. In the sense of distribution, the solutions propagate with the same speed as the unperturbed front, however, the front location is random and satisfies a central limit theorem with the variance proportional to the timet, ast goes to infinity. With probability arbitrarily close to one, the front width isO(1) for large time.     

Some variational principles in electroelastic media under finite deformation

It is proposed that the universal thermodynamic energy variational principle is included in the first law of thermodynamics. Some variational principles in the electroelastic media under finite deformation are derived from this universal thermodynamic variational principle. It is suggested that in the general electroelastic analysis the environment should be considered together with the discussed electroelastic medium. For the variational principle of nonlinear electroelastic media the variation of the electric potential is coupled with the virtual displacement, and the variation of the initial volume should be considered. The Maxwell stress in the initial configuration is naturally derived from this variational principle and it is unique in the second order precision. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 10472069)